Behind the scenes of Sam Altman’s dismissal from OpenAI

When Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, was dismissed on November 17, 2023, there was a great shock in the technology world. The reasons behind this sudden dismissal of Altman, who managed the rapid rise of ChatGPT, became a matter of curiosity. Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner explained the behind-the-scenes of this process at the TED AI Show.

Helen Toner detailed why the board lost confidence in Altman and the process of Altman’s return. When the board decided to replace Altman with a new CEO, it felt it was necessary to do so without his knowledge. According to Toner, if Altman was aware of any movement, it was certain that he would do anything to prevent it.

The board lost confidence in Altman for reasons such as failing to disclose that he owned the OpenAI Startup Fund and providing false information about security processes. Additionally, Toner stated that Altman launched personal attacks against him after he published a research article. He stated that Altman tried to remove Toner from the board by lying to other board members.

Two executives who approached the board directly testified that Altman exerted psychological pressure and acted manipulatively. These statements played a significant role in Altman’s dismissal. The board saw that this situation was unsustainable and took action.

Toner cited the launch of ChatGPT as an example of the board’s lack of real oversight. “We learned about the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 from Twitter.” he stated. The board realized that Altman had not even shared this important development with them.

What happened in the days after Altman’s dismissal was not discussed in detail in the podcast. However, OpenAI quickly named interim CEOs, with many employees pushing for Altman to return, including one of the board members who dismissed Altman. Microsoft also played an important role in this process by supporting Altman.

Toner offered three reasons why the pressure for Altman’s return is so strong. First, employees were given only two options: Altman’s return or the company’s dissolution. Most employees supported Altman’s return because they did not want the company to break up.

Second, many people were afraid to stand up to Altman because they had seen him retaliate against others before. Toner stated that Altman had experienced similar problems in the past. He was fired from his position at Y Combinator for similar reasons, and at his previous startup, Loopt, the management team twice sought to fire him.

Current OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor responded to Toner’s comments. Taylor said the board conducted a comprehensive review with an independent committee and law firm WilmerHale. This review found that the previous board’s decision was not related to product safety or security, pace of development, OpenAI’s financial condition, or disclosures to investors, customers, or partners.

Additionally, Taylor emphasized that more than 95 percent of employees want Altman to return as CEO and the previous board to resign. Taylor stated that they are focused on continuing OpenAI’s mission and ensuring that artificial general intelligence is beneficial for all humanity.