“Microsoft Ends Weekend of OpenAI Drama With Coup of Its Own”, 2023-11-20 (; backlinks):
…Confidence: In a post on LinkedIn, Satya Nadella wrote that Microsoft remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI and has “confidence in our product roadmap.”
But by tapping Sam Altman, Nadella acquired a driver for the new brand of AI captivating executives and politicians everywhere. At OpenAI, the co-founder was credited with kicking off a race for artificial intelligence supremacy from Washington to Beijing, inviting comparisons to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.
On Monday, Brockman posted online that he and Altman had already recruited 3 OpenAI scientists to work with them at Microsoft. “The mission continues”, he wrote on Twitter. Microsoft’s shares climbed as much as 2.7% in pre-market trading in New York, after closing 1.7% lower Friday.
…Altman attached several conditions to his return, including changes to the way OpenAI is governed, the removal of the board and a statement absolving him of wrongdoing, people with knowledge of the matter have said. The board was ultimately unwilling to give in to the demands, some of the people said, and instead embarked on their own search for a CEO. The decision to hire Shear is a stinging rebuke to the investors.
…Altman’s replacement, Emmett Shear, stepped down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc.’s game-streaming site Twitch earlier this year. He won over directors at OpenAI because of his past recognition of the existential threats that AI presented, a person familiar with the matter said.
…Ethan Kurzweil [son of Ray Kurzweil], a partner at venture capital firm Bessemer Partners, was on the board of Twitch when Shear was CEO. “It’s a great pick”, Kurzweil said in a text message. “No easy task to pick up the pieces right now but Emmett has all of the skills to succeed in this and I would think enough credibility to calm the rocky waters right now. He’s forward thinking and a very deep technologist but also a good communicator.”