OpenAI announced Friday that it is bringing CEO Sam Altman back to the board of directors following his dramatic ouster in November.
OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT, conducted an independent review that found a “breakdown in trust” between the prior board and Altman — which did not arise from concerns around product safety, the pace of development, finances, or statements to stakeholders, according to the review.
“WilmerHale found that the prior Board acted within its broad discretion to terminate Mr. Altman, but also found that his conduct did not mandate removal,” according to a summary of the review posted to OpenAI’s blog.
Altman was rehired as CEO shortly after he was booted from the original board, a decision that sparked backlash from employees and Microsoft, a key investor and partner that was blindsided by the move. Microsoft planned to hire Altman as part of a new research unit, before he returned to OpenAI.
The company has added new governance “enhancements” going forward, Axios reported.
OpenAI also announced it is adding three new board members: former Sony exec Nicole Seligman, Instacart CEO Fidji Simo, and Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Desmond-Hellmann, a physician and scientist, led the Seattle-based philanthropy for more than five years before stepping down in 2019. She is based in San Francisco.
Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, joined its board in late November as a non-voting observer.
The board is now chaired by former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor.
The drama last year spotlighted OpenAI’s unusual corporate structure, with a non-profit board overseeing a capped-profit company (the entity Altman leads and Microsoft invests in).
