OpenAI CEO Says Leadership Shakeup Aims to Flatten Structure, Elevate New Leaders

On Wednesday, Microsoft Corp MSFT-backed OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced a shift from a non-profit to a for-profit benefit corporation to make the AI startup more appealing to potential investors.

CEO Sam Altman may receive equity in the for-profit company, which could be valued at $150 billion after restructuring.

While the non-profit board will no longer oversee the company, the non-profit entity is expected to retain a minority stake in the new for-profit structure.

On Wednesday, Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, released a written statement stating that, after much reflection, she has “made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI.”

Also Read: Sam Altman’s OpenAI Pushes Biden Administration For Massive 5GW Data Centers Equivalent To Output Of 5 Nuclear Reactors, Enough To Power Nearly 3M Homes: Report.

Last year, Mira Murati served as an interim CEO when Sam Altman had to step down from his CEO position. The decision for this leadership change comes after the board’s intensive review process.

Concerns were raised regarding Altman’s transparency in communications with the board, ultimately leading to a loss of confidence in his leadership.

Within five days, he was reinstated as CEO, and the board that fired Altman was almost entirely replaced following employee rebellion, cementing his position at the firm’s helm.

Two other top OpenAI executives, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and another research leader, Barret Zoph, also left the AI Startup.

In a social media post, CEO Sam Altman said all the executives’ decisions were made “independently of each other and amicably.”

As per a Bloomberg report, Altman said the executive departures were unrelated to the company’s shift to a profit-for-organization model.

The report highlighted that Altman said he would use the shakeup to “flatten” OpenAI’s structure, naming several employees who’d start reporting directly to him, and promote a “new generation of leaders.”

“I saw some stuff that this was related to a restructure; that’s totally not true,” Bloomberg noted, citing Altman’s comments at the Italian Tech Week in Turin on Thursday.”

“This is just about people being ready for new chapters in their lives.”

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