OpenAI Board Says Sam Altman Will Not Return as C.E.O.

Mr. Altman’s firing startled the tech industry and OpenAI’s investors, which include Microsoft, Sequoia Capital and Thrive Capital. Microsoft, which has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI, only learned of Mr. Altman’s exit one minute before it was announced, while other investors discovered that he had been forced out via social media. They were given no further information or updates over the weekend.
The departure of Mr. Altman, 38, also drew attention to a rift in the A.I. community between people who believe A.I. is the most important new technology since web browsers and others who worry that moving too fast to develop it could be dangerous. Mr. Sutskever, in particular, was worried that Mr. Altman was too focused on building OpenAI’s business while not paying enough attention to the dangers of A.I.
The board’s decision to remove Mr. Altman was a shock to industry allies and rank-and-file employees who supported the charismatic founder. Silicon Valley investors and tech executives expressed their support of Mr. Altman and Greg Brockman, Mr. Altman’s co-founder who resigned in protest. By Friday evening, Mr. Altman was pitching a new A.I. start-up to investors and planned to start the company with Mr. Brockman.
Since OpenAI released its hit ChatGPT gaming chatbot almost a year ago, artificial intelligence has captured the public’s imagination, with hopes that it could be used for important work like drug research or to help teach children. But some A.I. scientists and political leaders worry about its risks, such as jobs getting automated out of existence or autonomous warfare that grows beyond human control.
OpenAI has been the gravitational center of that discussion along with its former chief executive, who has done more than anyone over the last year to make artificial intelligence a mainstream topic.