Microsoft to take non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board

Microsoft will take a non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board, the ChatGPT owner's newly reinstated CEO Sam Altman said on Wednesday. Microsoft, one of the artificial intelligence startup's main backers, was not immediately available for comment. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who had recruited Altman to Microsoft after his ouster from OpenAI, had said earlier that governance at the ChatGPT maker needs to change.

Mira Murati, who had been OpenAI's chief technology officer and was briefly named interim CEO after Altman's ouster, is once again the company's CTO, Altman said in his first official missive after taking back the reins of the company.

OpenAI ousted Altman on November 17 without any detailed cause, setting off alarm bells among investors and employees. He was reinstated four days later with the promise of a new board.

Altman's exit sparked confusion about the future of the startup at the center of an artificial intelligence boom.

His co-founder Greg Brockman, who had followed Altman out of the company, would return as president, Altman said on Wednesday. "Greg and I are partners in running this company. We have never quite figured out how to communicate that on the org chart, but we will," Altman said. OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever will no longer be part of the board, Altman said.

Sutskever had joined in the effort to fire Altman but later signed an employee letter demanding his return, expressing regret for his "participation in the board's actions." "I love and respect Ilya, I think he's a guiding light of the field and a gem of a human being. I harbor zero ill will towards him," Altman said, adding the company was discussing how Sutskever could continue his work at OpenAI.

OpenAI said last week that the new initial board will consist of former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary. Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, who was part of the old board, is also part of the new one. Apart from Sutskever and D'Angelo, OpenAI's previous board consisted of entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.