More than 500 OpenAI staffers have reportedly threatened to quit on Monday unless the company’s embattled board of directors resigns over its surprise move on Friday to oust Sam Altman from the company.
The furious employees said they “may choose to resign” and join Altman – who took a new gig as head of an AI research unit at Microsoft on Sunday – unless all current OpenAI board members step down and both Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman are restored to their posts
Shear, co-founder of the Amazon-owned video game streaming giant Twitch, pledged to order an independent investigation into the events that led to Altman’s firing, as well as lead an overhaul of OpenAI’s management and leadership team and improve communication with remaining staffers.
“It’s clear that the process and communications around Sam’s removal has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust,” Shear wrote on X.
Shear has expressed concern about the risks associated with the rapid development of advanced AI – warning at an event earlier this year that the possibility of AI becoming impossible to control “should cause you to s–t your pants.”
