OpenAI Will Have 3 New Directors Including Sam Altman

(CTN News) – The world’s most prominent artificial intelligence company, OpenAI, announced on Friday that its CEO Sam Altman will return to the company’s board of directors along with three new directors.

In response to an investigation conducted by law firm WilmerHale into Altman’s November dismissal, the company has developed new governance rules and strengthened its conflict of interest policy. In a unanimous vote, the board endorsed Altman’s leadership.

There were a number of employees, investors and Microsoft (MSFT.O), which was the largest financial backer of OpenAI at the time, expressing shock over Altman’s removal, which was reversed shortly thereafter.

Earlier this week, the company announced the appointment of new directors, including Altman, Sue Desmond-Hellmann, a former president of Sony Entertainment, Nicole Seligman, and Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart.

On X, Altman welcomed the new board members, adding, “Our work is significant.”.

As a result, they will join Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Salesforce Chairman Bret Taylor.

Altman’s dismissal was not due to concerns regarding OpenAI’s finances, product safety, or other matters,

According to the WilmerHale investigation. “Rather, it was caused by a breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust between the prior Board and Mr. Altman,” the law firm said.

In a blog post, OpenAI stated that “WilmerHale found that the prior Board believed that its actions could mitigate internal management challenges and did not anticipate their actions would destabilize the Company.”

Besides concluding that the earlier Board acted within its broad discretion in terminating Mr. Altman, WilmerHale also found that Mr. Altman’s conduct did not require him to be removed.

A conflict of interest may exist

As part of its corporate governance guidelines, OpenAI said it would establish a whistleblower hotline. According to the startup, whose CEO is a prolific investor, its conflict-of-interest policy is being strengthened.

There was little detail provided about these improvements by the board.

Since the board provided too little detail about its surprise decision in November, speculation has been sparked about Altman’s potential misconduct, which both Altman and the company have denied, as well as about the possibility that the technology OpenAI is developing may pose existential risks.

In response to nearly all of OpenAI’s employees threatening to leave unless Altman was restored and the board resigned, Altman returned as CEO about four days after he was fired.

When Altman returned, discussions arose about how OpenAI would be governed, and the company announced a reconstituted board headed by Taylor, which eliminated Altman from the board.

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