OpenAI introduces new board members and welcomes back CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI has declared the constitution of its new board and the conclusion of an internal probe by U.S. based law firm WilmerHale, examining the circumstances that led to the dismissal of OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman. Additionally, Sam Altman is set to reenter the OpenAI board.

The new board members are:

• Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, who is also on the Board of Directors at Pfizer and on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
• Nicole Seligman, former EVP and Global General Counsel of Sony and President of Sony Entertainment, who is also on the Board of Directors at Paramount Global, Meira GTx and Intuitive Machines, Inc.
• Fidji Simo, CEO and Chair of Instacart, who is also on the Board of Directors at Shopify.

OpenAI has welcomed three new members to its board, who will collaborate with existing board members Adam D’Angelo, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, and senior management, including Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. OpenAI shared plans for additional board expansion during a press zoom call.

OpenAI refrained from publishing the investigation report but gave an overview of its results, revealing a considerable trust breach between the former board and Sam and Greg. Despite the trust issues, the board did not raise concerns about product safety, security, OpenAI’s financial stability, or statements to customers or business partners.

The investigation by WilmerHale law firm began in December, incorporating interviews with past and current OpenAI board members and advisors, directors, and witnesses. It also included a review of over 30,000 documents. Bret Taylor, OpenAI’s board chairman, stated the review unanimously concluded that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman were the appropriate leaders for OpenAI.

Speaking of the review, Altman expressed his gratitude towards Taylor, Larry and WilmerHale. He also commended OpenAI’s CTO Mira Murati for her leadership during difficult times.

Altman’s dismissal as OpenAI CEO last November caused controversy, leading to board member departures and threats of resignations from company employees. In less than a week, Altman was reinstated, and board members who voted for his departure, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley and Ilya Sutskever, were dismissed.

New board members include Bret Taylor, former Salesforce co-CEO, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Microsoft has obtained a non-voting board observer position. Post Altman’s reinstatement, OpenAI’s platform gained widespread popularity, currently having about 100 million weekly active users, including over 92% of Fortune 500 companies. Last year, Microsoft’s $10 billion investment in OpenAI was the largest AI investment for the year.

Recent events at OpenAI include a lawsuit filed by billionaire Elon Musk against Altman and Brockman for a supposed breach of contract and duty. The claim asserts that OpenAI has become a subsidiary of Microsoft, contrary to the company’s initial agreement with Musk. Regarding the lawsuit, attorneys have expressed doubt about its legal validity, and OpenAI has disclosed its plan to file a motion to dismiss all of Musk’s claims.

Adding to this controversy, there have been reports about Altman seeking billions for a new chip venture, known as “Tigris,” aiming to rival Nvidia. Altman had previously invested in Rain Neuromorphics, an AI chip startup, and in 2019, OpenAI agreed to spend $51 million on Rain’s chips. Later in December, a Saudi Aramco-backed venture capital firm was compelled to sell its Rain shares.