Sam Altman Returns to OpenAI's Board of Directors
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is back on the company’s board after several turbulent months. Today, OpenAI announced his reintegration into the board of directors, following his departure as CEO.
Joining Altman are three new board members: former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sue Desmond-Hellmann; ex-Sony Entertainment president, Nicole Seligman; and Instacart CEO, Fidji Simo. This expansion brings OpenAI’s board to a total of eight members.
The newly appointed members do not replace the interim board that was established after Altman’s ousting last November. Existing members—including former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor (currently serving as OpenAI’s board chair), Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, and Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard—will maintain their positions, alongside Dee Templeton, a Microsoft-appointed board observer.
The addition of Desmond-Hellmann, Seligman, and Simo comes in response to criticisms concerning the prior all-male board composition and the nomination of Summers, known for his controversial remarks about women. The Congressional Black Caucus highlighted the necessity for diverse perspectives in AI development, particularly to address biases in technology, in a letter sent earlier this year.
OpenAI’s expanded board indeed showcases diversity in expertise. Desmond-Hellmann, who led the Gates Foundation for six years, previously served as chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, and was president of product development at Genentech, where she played a pivotal role in developing gene-targeted cancer treatments. With a background in oncology, she is board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
Seligman garnered national recognition during the Iran-Contra hearings, representing Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and President Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial. She has held various roles at Sony, rising from general counsel to CEO of Sony Corporation.
Fidji Simo brings a wealth of experience as well, having served as head of the Facebook app at Meta and leading various monetization initiatives there. She is also the co-founder and current president of The Metrodora Foundation, a health clinic and research institute.
In a blog post, OpenAI emphasized, “Sue, Fidji, and Nicole possess extensive experience in managing global organizations and navigating intricate regulatory landscapes, drawing from their diverse backgrounds in technology, nonprofit sectors, and board governance.” They will collaborate closely with current board members Adam D’Angelo, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, as well as Sam Altman and OpenAI’s senior management.
The board's expansion comes after an investigation by WilmerHale, initiated by OpenAI, which determined that Altman’s termination resulted from a breakdown in trust between him and the former board. The investigation found no substantial evidence to highlight concerns regarding OpenAI's product safety or financial stability.
In his statement, Bret Taylor reflected, “We have unanimously concluded that Sam and [OpenAI president Greg Brockman] are the right leaders for OpenAI. We comprehend the significant responsibility we carry in guiding transformative technologies for the global good.”
However, opinions on this decision may vary within OpenAI. Reports from the New York Times suggest a more complicated perspective of Altman, indicating how he may have manipulated discussions to align with his vision while discrediting dissenters. Concerns raised by OpenAI's CTO Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever, a former board member, about Altman's leadership style were flagged prior to his departure last year.
Alongside the board changes, OpenAI announced plans for new corporate governance guidelines. These include enhancing its conflict of interest policies, creating a whistleblower hotline for anonymous reporting by employees and contractors, and forming additional board committees, such as a mission and strategy committee dedicated to fostering OpenAI's core objectives.
We have reached out to OpenAI for more information regarding the updated conflict of interest policy and the new mission and strategy committee, and we will provide updates as they become available.
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