Here's everything you need to know about the OpenAI drama

We’ve been glued to our phones following the drama unfolding at the world’s (arguably) most important AI company so that you don’t have to.

What happened: OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT and widely regarded as one of the organizations at the forefront of AI research, is embroiled in a dramatic internal power struggle.

Catch up: The turmoil began on Friday night when OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman was turfed from the company by its board of directors.

• The dismissal came as a shock to OpenAI’s staff and investors, including Microsoft, which has invested US$13 billion in the company and regards it as key to its own AI efforts.
• Several high-level OpenAI staff resigned in solidarity with Altman, including the company’s president, Greg Brockman.
• Under pressure from investors and the threat of more resignations by staff, OpenAI’s board reportedly undertook talks to bring Altman back as CEO but have yet to reach an agreement.

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Why it’s happening: That’s not entirely clear. In its statement announcing Altman’s firing, the board said he “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.”

We aren’t quite sure what that means, but some reports have suggested that a disagreement between Altman and co-founder and board member Ilya Sutskever over the company’s direction played a pivotal role.

• Sutskever has reportedly grown concerned that Altman is not paying sufficient attention to the potential risks of powerful AI technology.
• Two other OpenAI board members also have links to the “effective altruist” movement, which worries that AI may eventually lead to the destruction of humanity.

What’s next: Altman has reportedly said he’ll only return if the entire OpenAI board resigns. Barring that, it’s likely he’ll start a new venture and bring many OpenAI employees along with him: Bloomberg reported he has already been working in recent weeks to raise billions for a new business making computer chips tailored for AI.

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