Emmett Shear steps in as Altman and Brockman move to Microsoft

In an unexpected turn of events, OpenAI's board has appointed Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear as the interim CEO, replacing Mira Murati.

The decision comes after talks over the weekend about the possible rehiring of Sam Altman as CEO ended in a different direction. Meanwhile, Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman are set to join Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team.

The shakeup at OpenAI, with three CEOs in three days, resulted from the board's refusal to step down and allow Altman's return, as reported by The Information. The board claimed that removing Altman was the "only path" to achieving the company's mission of "broadly beneficial" artificial general intelligence. Microsoft, OpenAI's largest investor, expressed confidence in their partnership despite the leadership changes.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, stated, "We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap." Altman and Brockman's move to Microsoft involves leading a new Advanced AI research team, with Nadella expressing a commitment to providing the necessary resources for their success.

Altman's sudden departure from OpenAI was prompted by allegations of inconsistent communication, leading to discussions of his return under pressure from investors and the threat of a mass employee departure from the company.

Despite missed deadlines, set by Altman’s camp to resign and reinstate him alongside fellow co-founder Greg Brockman, and employee support for Altman, the board, led by chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, chose Emmett Shear as the surprising choice for the new CEO.