According to Cointelegraph: The internal discord at OpenAI, one of the pioneer organizations in artificial intelligence (AI) research, appears to be intensifying, leading to a domino effect of high-profile exits. This unsettling development began with the company's removal of Sam Altman, citing a lack of confidence in his leadership. Greg Brockman, co-founder and former president of OpenAI, subsequently revealed his departure from the organization.
Announcing his resignation via platform X (previously Twitter), Brockman reflected on the organization's collective achievements since its foundation and expressed immense pride. He stated, "I take immense pride in what we've collectively achieved since our humble beginnings in my apartment eight years ago. In light of today's developments, I quit."
Brockman was initially expected to step down from his role as board chairman while continuing in a reporting capacity under the new CEO. However, his exit from the company altogether raises concerns about a potential talent drain at OpenAI.
The conflict leading to Altman's departure involved significant disagreements with the board, especially co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever. The primary issues were related to the pace of technology development, AI safety, and commercialization strategies. These concerns are not new to OpenAI, with past disputes leading to Elon Musk's disassociation in 2018 and some employees parting ways to form Anthropic in 2020.
Founded as a non-profit in 2015, OpenAI transitioned to a for-profit structure following significant investment from Microsoft in 2019. Its primary aim has been to ensure advanced AI doesn't fall into the hands of limited corporations, and its present challenges throw a spotlight on the hurdles in the ethical development of AI.