What has happened at OpenAI?
OpenAI is one of the most important companies in the world in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Founded in 2015 as a non-profit organization, its goal is to create AI that benefits all humanity, without falling into the ethical or existential risks that malicious or superintelligent AI could pose.
Among his most notable achievements is ChatGPT, a chatbot capable of generating coherent and creative texts on any topic, from poetry to code. ChatGPT is based on an AI model called GPT-4, which was developed by OpenAI and is considered one of the most advanced in the world.
However, last Friday, November 17, OpenAI announced the dismissal of Sam Altman, its co-founder and CEO, after having lost confidence in his leadership abilities. The news caused a great impact in the technology sector, since Altman was one of the most influential and respected figures in the field of AI.
What role has Microsoft played?
Microsoft is OpenAI’s main commercial partner, having invested around $13 billion in the company since 2019. Additionally, Microsoft is the exclusive provider of the cloud infrastructure that OpenAI uses to train and deploy its AI models, such as ChatGPT.
Microsoft has also been the main beneficiary of OpenAI technologyhaving integrated its AI models into its products and services, such as Copilot.
For all these reasons, Microsoft had a lot at stake in the OpenAI crisis, and could not afford to lose its most powerful ally. That’s why, Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, spent the weekend lobbying the OpenAI board of directors to reverse Altman’s dismissal. However, the board of directors did not give in, and stood by its decision.
What has Satya Nadella done?
Faced with the failure of his attempt at reconciliation, Nadella opted for a surprising strategy: hire Altman and his most loyal colleagues, including Greg Brockmanwho resigned as president of OpenAI on Friday in a show of solidarity.
In this way, Nadella managed not only to prevent Altman and his team from signing with the competition, but also to retain them by his side, to continue taking advantage of their talent and vision. Thus, Nadella has demonstrated his ability to manage one of Silicon Valley’s biggest crises, and has reinforced his position as a leader in the field of AI.
However, heThe story did not end there. On Monday, November 20, it was announced that Sam Altman had reached an agreement with the OpenAI board of directors to once again be the company’s CEO. . The deal means there will be a new board chaired by Bret Taylor, Salesforce’s former co-CEO. In this way, the conflict that began last Friday is resolved, when the board dismissed Altman for allegedly lying in his communications.
What future awaits OpenAI?
OpenAI has been divided into two schools of thought, which Altman referred to as “tribes.” On the one hand, there are those who defend greater commercialization of AI, to generate income and finance research. On the other hand, there are those who prioritize OpenAI’s founding mission, to create AI that benefits everyone, without compromising ethics or security.
OpenAI’s new board of directors will have to face the challenge of maintaining cohesion and innovation at OpenAI, as well as managing the relationship with Microsoft, which remains its key partner.
Microsoft, for its part, has assured that it remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI, and that it has an innovation plan and a product roadmap based on OpenAI technology. Additionally, Microsoft will continue to invest in the development and deployment of specialized supercomputing systems to accelerate OpenAI research.
Satya Nadella comes out of this situation very strengthened. Some tried to kill him when the Altman bomb went off, but the CEO of Microsoft has known how to navigate this crisis with great cunning and in the end he has obtained what he was looking for: that OpenAI continues to be independent but with Altman and his people at the helm and in a more position. stronger than before the riot.