“Microsoft Is Likely to Get Board Sets—Maybe 2”, 2023-11-21 ():
Many sources tell me fruitful negotiations are taking place now between Sam Altman’s side (he has a crew of well known outside tech pals helping like Brian Chesky and Bret Taylor) and the board side, who are repped by Adam D’Angelo and interim CEO Emmett Shear.
The Microsoft folks are being kept up to speed and sources said that is how Satya Nadella wants it. With a 49% stake, they are likely to get board seats—maybe two. (Satya basically said he would no longer be surprised in my interview with him yesterday.)
My take: Sam will be back at OpenAI as CEO, there will be a new and larger board (maybe one of current ones stays on it, but others will be indemnified and depart), new clear practices on communications between CEO and board and stronger safety rules.
[As of 2023-12-05, MS doesn’t have 2 board seats, only 1 observer; and the board hasn’t been formally enlarged.]
On the hype side, let’s try to tone down bountiful future nonsense—we’ve heard it before and only some people got obscenely wealthy while the rest of us got the bill for the problems. AI will be great and it could be awful—it’s complex, so try to be an adult about it.