It seems that OpenAI’s board is trying to woo Altman back, but not entirely out of its own volition. According to Bloomberg, it’s the key investors like Microsoft that are pushing to reinstate Altman. Investors such as Thrive Capital, Khosla Ventures, Sequoia, and Tiger Global are said to be in talks with Microsoft to push for Altman’s reinstatement. A Forbes report suggests Altman is already discussing plans for a new company with Brockman and other AI researchers in his camp.
More from me & @ashleevance
– active convos happening to reinstate @sama including w/ Microsoft and @satyanadella
– Sam has Satya’s support/confidence whatever he does next
– in one scenario the board could resign
– this is a fast-moving complex negotiation
– Sam is open to… https://t.co/0q2K1w7zkS— Emily Chang (@emilychangtv) November 18, 2023
Still, it seems the crisis could get ugly. According to internal sources cited by Forbes, the solution entails forcing the current OpenAI leadership to acknowledge the impossibility of their position through a blend of a widespread uprising by senior researchers. More drastic steps like withholding of cloud computing credits from Microsoft and the looming threat of a lawsuit are also said to be on the table.
To be clear, Khosla Ventures wants @sama back at @OpenAI but will back him in whatever he does next
— Vinod Khosla (@vkhosla) November 19, 2023
As far as an Altman homecoming is concerned, it would mark a major shift at the top of OpenAI’s hierarchy. “In one scenario under consideration, members of the current OpenAI board would step down as soon as this weekend, according to multiple people,” says Bloomberg. Moreover, Microsoft head Nadella has reportedly assured Altman of supporting him in whatever he does next. So far, neither OpenAI nor any of the lead investors — including Microsoft — have issued any public statements regarding their push to put Altman back at the helm of OpenAI.