Sam Altman's Unexpected About-Face: A Startling Return to OpenAI

OpenAI has announced that Sam Altman will be returning as CEO, along with a new initial board of Bret Taylor as Chair, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. This comes just days after Altman's unexpected removal as chief executive and employee backlash that had the potential to harm the leading company in the emerging artificial intelligence industry.

Altman's recent post on X (formerly Twitter) expressed his anticipation in returning to OpenAI and further developing the firm's robust partnership with Microsoft, its primary financial supporter. This announcement brings a conclusion to a tumultuous period in the AI industry, marked by discussions on leadership, operational structure, and the pace of AI technological advancement.

The circumstances surrounding Altmans termination and subsequent rehiring are unclear. OpenAI stated that Altman had not been sufficiently honest with the board when announcing his firing.

This vague statement led to widespread speculation. However, a significant factor in Altmans dismissal was the presence of tensions between Altman, who advocated for a more aggressive approach to AI development, and the original OpenAI board members, who preferred a more cautious approach, according to CNN contributor Kara Swisher, who spoke to informed sources about the situation.

By Monday morning, Nadella had declared that Altman, along with fellow OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, who resigned from the startup on Friday after Altman's dismissal, would be heading a new AI research division at Microsoft. Additionally, OpenAI revealed that they had appointed former Twitch chief Emmett Shear as interim CEO.

However, shortly after, numerous OpenAI employees, comprising almost the entire staff, threatened to depart, possibly for Microsoft, if the company's board did not step down and restore Altman as CEO.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated.