Emmett Shear, former head of Twitch, has been appointed by OpenAI to lead the startup, succeeding Sam Altman. Altman will be joining Microsoft to spearhead a new advanced AI research team, as announced by the software giant’s CEO, Satya Nadella, on Sunday.
Nadella expressed anticipation in working with Shear and OpenAI’s new leadership team, emphasizing Microsoft’s unwavering commitment to its partnership with OpenAI. Shear assumes the role of interim CEO, a decision revealed by a source briefed on the appointment.
The surprising move to not reinstate Altman as the CEO of the company responsible for ChatGPT has left investors and employees perplexed. Efforts to bring Altman back to stabilize the company after his abrupt dismissal on Friday faced challenges, with concerns about potential talent loss and the impact on an upcoming $86 billion share sale.
Nadella outlined Altman’s new role at Microsoft, leading a cutting-edge AI research team. Reports earlier suggested Altman was in talks about a possible return to OpenAI, contemplating changes to the company’s governance structure and exploring the idea of launching a new AI venture.
We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett…
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) November 20, 2023
Altman, along with Greg Brockman, who resigned from the OpenAI board as chairman during the management reshuffle, joined executives at the company’s headquarters on Sunday. Altman’s unexpected exit and Brockman’s departure surprised many employees, learning about the changes from an internal message and the company’s public blog.
Some researchers, including Szymon Sidor, have reportedly left the company following the CEO transition. The departure of key figures like Brockman and the potential talent exodus have raised concerns among employees and investors.
the mission continues https://t.co/d1pHiFxcSe
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023
Emmett Shear, known for co-founding Twitch, resigned from the Amazon-owned live video streaming platform earlier this year, adding another layer to the unfolding changes at OpenAI.
The appointment of Shear as interim CEO prompted a visible reaction from distraught employees who reportedly left OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco. The Information reported that numerous staff members internally declared their resignations on Sunday night, highlighting the unsettled atmosphere within the company.
OpenAI, recognized for sparking the generative AI trend with the release of ChatGPT a year ago, now faces a period of transition and uncertainty with its new leadership.
