C.E.O. Sam Altman.
Dear Commons Community,
Mira Murati, the chief technology officer, and two others are leaving OpenAI as C.E.O. Sam Altman works to transform it into a for-profit company.
Joining Ms. Murati are OpenAI’s chief research officer, Bob McGrew, and vice president of research, Barret Zoph. As reported by The New York Times.
OpenAI is controlled by the board of a nonprofit organization that Mr. Altman and his co-founders created in late 2015 to oversee the start-up’s technologies.
While becoming a for-profit company is not expected to happen until next year, OpenAI is in talks for a new round of investment that could value the company at as much as $150 billion, a huge leap from its last round at $80 billion. The United Arab Emirates’ technology investment firm, MGX, is among the potential investors, which also include Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple and Tiger Global, three people familiar with the conversations said.
OpenAI is seeking cash because its costs far outpace its revenue, the three people said. It annually collects more than $3 billion in sales while spending about $7 billion.
After years of public conflict between management and some of its top researchers, OpenAI is trying to look more like a more traditional tech company that can be a leader in the industry’s drive toward artificial intelligence.
But Wednesday’s executive departures followed months of similar exits by other OpenAI leaders. And they bookend a turbulent year for the company, which included the surprise ouster of Mr. Altman as chief executive and his reinstatement five days later.
Ms. Murati, who had joined OpenAI in 2018, was appointed to lead the company after Mr. Altman’s removal, but rejected the role just two days later. She has remained one of the public faces of the start-up, making frequent public appearances to discuss its technology.
A spokeswoman for OpenAI declined to comment beyond what the executives posted online.
In a reply to Ms. Murati on X, Mr. Altman thanked her for her years at the company and said he would provide more information on the leadership transition in the coming days.
“It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally,” he wrote.
Late Wednesday, Mr. Altman said on social media that the departures of Mr. McGrew and Mr. Zoph were unrelated to the resignation of Ms. Murati but that “it made sense to now do this all at once, so that we can work together for a smooth handover to the next generation of leadership.”
OpenAI’s move to for-profit status will be watched closely especially in terms of major cash infusions which will cement its leadership position in AI development.
Tony
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