The OpenAI board terminated CEO Sam Altman, prompting chaos and resulting in Microsoft hiring Altman and former co-founder Greg Brockman to lead a new advanced AI research team.
Over 500 current employees, including CTO Mira Murati, wrote a letter to the OpenAI board demanding their resignation. In the letter, the employees expressed concerns about the process of terminating Altman and removing Brockman, stating that it jeopardized the company’s work, undermined its mission, and indicated the board’s incompetence.
The employees criticized the board for not providing written evidence for their allegations and accused them of negotiating in bad faith. The leadership team suggested that the best path forward would be for the board to resign and appoint a qualified board to lead the company.
Despite efforts to find a mutually agreeable outcome, the board replaced interim CEO Mira Murati within two days of their initial decision, further indicating their lack of competence. The employees declared that they are unable to work for or with individuals lacking competence, judgment, and care for the company’s mission and employees.
They threatened to resign and join the newly announced Microsoft subsidiary run by Altman and Brockman unless all current board members resign and new lead independent directors are appointed, along with reinstating Altman and Brockman. The letter was signed by various employees, including Mira Murati, Brad Lightcap, Jason Kwon, and others.
