An outside investigation ordered by OpenAI’s nonprofit board discovered that CEO Sam Altman’s actions did not require him to be removed from his position. After getting through an attempt to oust him from the board in November, he will now return to the board. Board chair Bret Taylor stated in a press release that the law firm Wilmer Hale conducted interviews with board members and employees, and examined “over 30,000 documents” to determine that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman “are the appropriate leaders for OpenAI.”
A week ago, Elon Musk had sued OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alleging that it had moved away from its initial noble mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity to focus more on profit-making, despite its origins as a nonprofit, open-source endeavor he was invited to co-found.
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New Members in CEO Sam Altman’s Team
Today, the OpenAI Board shared that as part of its plan to grow, it has elected three new members to the Board.
| Name | Position & Affiliations |
|---|---|
| Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann | – Former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation & On the Board of Directors at Pfizer & On the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology |
| Nicole Seligman | – Former EVP and Global General Counsel of Sony & Former President of Sony Entertainment & On the Board of Directors at Paramount Global, Meira GTx, and Intuitive Machines, Inc. |
| Fidji Simo | – CEO and Chair of Instacart & On the Board of Directors at Shopify |
Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Profession | Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann is a non-profit sector leader and doctor. |
| Current Board Roles | – Board member at Pfizer. – Member of the President’s Science and Technology Advisors Council |
| Past Board Roles | – Board member at Proctor and Gamble. – Board member at Meta (Facebook), – Board member at the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute |
| Past Executive Role | – CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2014-2020) |
| Significant Achievement | – First woman Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) (2009-2014) |
| Early Career in Biotech | – President of Product Development at Genentech, contributing to the development of the first gene-targeted cancer drugs |
Nicole Seligman
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Profession | Nicole Seligman is a well-known corporate, civic leader, and lawyer. |
| Current Roles | – Board member at Paramount Global & Board member at MeiraGTx Holdings PLC & Board member at Intuitive Machines, Inc. |
| Previous Roles at Sony | – EVP and General Counsel at Sony Corporation, managing global legal and compliance. – President of Sony Entertainment, Inc. -President of Sony Corporation of America |
| Nonprofit Roles | – Leadership roles at the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center. – Leadership roles at The Doe Fund in New York City. |
| Previous Legal Experience | – Partner in litigation at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. – Worked on complex civil and criminal matters. – Counseled President William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Clinton |
| Early Career | – Law clerk to Justice Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court of the United States. |
Fidji Simo
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Experience | Fidji Simo has over 15 years of experience in the consumer technology industry, leading operations, strategy, and product development for major companies. |
| Current Roles | – CEO and Chair of Instacart<br>- Board member at Shopify |
| Past Role at Facebook | Before joining Instacart, Simo served as Vice President and Head of the Facebook App, overseeing features like News Feed, Stories, Groups, Video, Marketplace, Gaming, News, Dating, Ads, and more over ten years. |
| Foundational Work | Simo founded the Metrodora Institute, a clinic and research foundation focused on neuroimmune axis disorders. She also serves as President of the Metrodora Foundation. |
OpenAI Introduces New Governance Guidelines and Committees
OpenAI announced that along with appointing new board members today, it will introduce new corporate governance rules. These include improving its policy on conflicts of interest, setting up a whistleblower hotline for employees and contractors to report issues anonymously, and forming more board committees. This includes a committee dedicated to the mission and strategy of OpenAI, aimed at putting its main mission into action and promoting its advancement.
CEO Sam Altman’s Apology and Governance Concerns at OpenAI
- Video Call with Reporters:
- Altman apologized on a brief video call with journalists.
- Reason for Apology:
- He said sorry for thinking a former board member was damaging OpenAI by their actions.
- Altman didn’t provide more details.
- Conflict Background:
- Reports suggest he had disagreements with former board member Helen Toner.
- The disagreement was about a critical academic paper she co-authored regarding OpenAI’s safety approach.
- Concerns Raised:
- There were worries about conflicts of interest linked to Altman’s other investments.
FAQ’s
Who is CEO Sam Altman?
CEO Sam Altman is a prominent technology entrepreneur and investor known for his role as the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab. Before OpenAI, Altman was the president of Y Combinator, a leading startup accelerator.
What is CEO Sam Altman’s vision for OpenAI?
CEO Sam Altman envisions OpenAI as a leader in the development of artificial intelligence that is safe, beneficial to all of humanity, and openly shared with the world. His focus is on ensuring AI technology enhances societal well-being while managing potential risks.
Has CEO Sam Altman made any significant changes at OpenAI?
Yes, under CEO Sam Altman’s leadership, OpenAI transitioned from a non-profit to a “capped” profit model to attract more investment while ensuring its core mission remains focused on the safe and beneficial development of AI. This model allows for profit generation but caps the earnings to align with the organization’s mission.
What challenges has CEO Sam Altman faced at OpenAI?
CEO Sam Altman has navigated several challenges, including ethical dilemmas around AI development, competition with other tech giants, managing the balance between openness and safety in AI research, and addressing concerns related to AI’s impact on the job market and society.
