In a surprising turn of events, former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear is set to become the interim chief executive of OpenAI, replacing Sam Altman, according to a statement by board director Ilya Sutskever to the company’s staff, as reported by The Information.
Sam Altman, who will not return as CEO despite efforts to persuade him, is reportedly in discussions about a possible return to the company, focusing on enhancing the governance structure and the development of the ChatGPT bot. Altman’s recent dismissal from the board has stirred controversy, with concerns raised among employees about the impact on an impending $86 billion share sale.
The Information revealed that Altman, accompanied by former OpenAI President Greg Brockman, visited the company’s San Francisco headquarters on Sunday. Meanwhile, Shear, known for co-founding Twitch and recently stepping down from the Amazon-owned platform, assumes the interim CEO role.
The sudden management upheaval has triggered reactions from both current and former employees. Altman’s potential return is reportedly under consideration, with Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest backer, contemplating a role on the board, as reported by The Information. Microsoft could either secure a seat on OpenAI’s board of directors or act as a board observer without voting power.
OpenAI has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment, leaving the tech industry in anticipation of further developments in this evolving story.
