Greg Brockman Resigns from OpenAI Following Sam Altman's Unexpected Dismissal

OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman announced his resignation from the company on Friday, just hours after Microsoft-backed OpenAI unexpectedly terminated its CEO, Sam Altman. Initially, there were assurances that Brockman would remain, adding to the day's turmoil within the organization, especially following Altman’s leadership at OpenAI’s first developer conference.

In a series of tweets, Brockman revealed that Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's chief scientist, informed Altman about a phone call scheduled for Friday at noon. During this call, the board shared the news of Altman's dismissal.

Brockman noted, "As far as we know, the management team was informed of this shortly thereafter, except for Mira, who learned about it the night before." Mira Murati, OpenAI’s CTO, has been appointed as the interim CEO.

Initially, Brockman was to step down as board chairman while continuing with the company. A close associate of Altman, he expressed his discontent with the board's decision despite being encouraged to stay. He stated that he was saddened by the board's direction.

Both OpenAI and Microsoft, which owns about half of the company but does not sit on the board, have remained silent regarding the reasons behind Altman's firing. This unexpected change has reverberated throughout Silicon Valley, as Altman has been the face of a startup that is not only seen as a leader in the current AI race but has also become a critical partner for numerous emerging companies leveraging OpenAI’s technology.

"I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together since starting in my apartment eight years ago. We’ve faced challenges and triumphs, achieving so much despite the hurdles," Brockman wrote in a message to the OpenAI team. "However, given today’s events, I have decided to resign. I wish you all the best and continue to support the mission of creating safe AGI for the benefit of humanity."

Earlier that day, OpenAI announced that Altman’s departure was due to a loss of confidence from the board. They indicated that a “deliberative review process” concluded that Altman had not been fully candid in his communications, which impeded the board’s responsibilities.

This announcement comes shortly after OpenAI’s inaugural developer conference, where Altman revealed that ChatGPT reached 100 million users. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, a key speaker at the conference, expressed his support, stating they "love you guys." In a future-focused interview, Altman indicated his expectation to secure significant investments from Microsoft and other stakeholders.

“We have a long-term agreement with OpenAI that allows us to access all necessary resources to drive our innovation agenda and product roadmap. We remain committed to our partnership and to Mira and the team. Together, we will continue to deliver meaningful benefits to the world,” Nadella stated on Friday.

Brockman expressed his surprise and sadness over the board's decision, thanking all colleagues, customers, and investors for their support during this tumultuous time.

As the situation continues to unfold, stay tuned for more insights into the implications of Altman’s firing and the future of OpenAI.

— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023

For ongoing coverage about Sam Altman’s departure from OpenAI, check out these articles:

- WTF is going on at OpenAI? We have theories

- Who is Mira Murati, OpenAI’s new interim CEO?

- A timeline of Sam Altman’s firing from OpenAI — and the fallout