A Timeline of the OpenAI Saga

Sam Altman, the co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot ChatGPT, was fired last week after the board accused him of lying and losing their confidence. His departure was a shock to the AI community and the tech industry, as he was one of the most influential and visionary leaders in the field. How did Altman go from being the hero of AI to the villain of OpenAI? Here is a timeline of the events that led to his downfall.

November 2022: ChatGPT is launched.

OpenAI releases ChatGPT, a generative AI chatbot that can generate texts and images in response to simple user prompts. The chatbot quickly becomes a viral sensation, attracting millions of users and developers. ChatGPT is hailed as a breakthrough in AI and a game-changer for various industries and applications. Altman becomes the face and voice of ChatGPT, appearing in media interviews and conferences, and advocating for the benefits and risks of AI.

January 2023: Altman testifies before Congress.

Altman is invited to testify before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, along with other AI experts and CEOs, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of AI development and regulation. Altman warns that AI is a pivotal moment for humanity and calls for ethical and responsible AI practices. He also urges the government to invest more in AI research and education, and to collaborate with the private sector and the international community.

March 2023: Altman meets with the White House.

Altman is among the tech leaders who meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House, to discuss the role of AI in the US economy and national security. Altman praises the administration’s efforts to promote AI innovation and competitiveness and offers his insights and suggestions on how to foster a healthy and inclusive AI ecosystem. He also expresses his concerns about the potential threats and harms of AI, such as bias, privacy, and safety.

November 2023: OpenAI holds its first developer conference.

OpenAI hosts its first developer conference in San Francisco, where Altman serves as the master of ceremonies. He announces a series of new features and updates for ChatGPT, including the ability for developers to create custom versions of the chatbot. He also reveals that ChatGPT has reached 100 million active users, and that 90% of Fortune 500 companies are using the chatbot internally. He thanks the developers and the users for their support and feedback, and invites them to join the OpenAI community.

November 17, 2023: Altman is fired.

OpenAI’s board releases a statement on its website, announcing that Altman has been fired as the CEO and the co-founder of the company, effective immediately. The board says that Altman was not always truthful with the board, and that he had lost their confidence. The board does not specify what Altman had lied about, but says that his departure follows a deliberative review process. The board appoints Mira Murati, the CTO of OpenAI, as the interim CEO, and says that it will look for a permanent successor.

November 18, 2023: Altman joins Microsoft.

Altman tweets that he has joined Microsoft as the chief AI officer, reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella. He says that he is excited to work with Microsoft, which has been a major partner and investor of OpenAI. He says that he will continue to pursue his vision of creating and democratizing AI for the benefit of humanity. He also thanks his former colleagues and friends at OpenAI and says that he will have more to say about what happened later.

November 19, 2023: OpenAI’s board is in talks with Altman.

According to The Verge, the OpenAI board is reportedly engaging in discussions with Altman to potentially return as the CEO of the company. The board is said to be having second thoughts about its decision and is facing pressure from some of the employees and the investors, who are loyal to Altman. The board is also concerned about the impact of Altman’s departure on the company’s reputation and performance. The board and Altman are said to be negotiating the terms and conditions of his possible comeback.

November 20, 2023: Altman declines to return.

Altman announces on Twitter that he has decided not to return to OpenAI, and that he will stay with Microsoft. He says that he appreciates the board’s offer, but that he believes that it is in the best interest of both parties to part ways. He says that he is proud of what he and his team have accomplished at OpenAI, and that he wishes the company all the best. He also says that he is looking forward to his new role at Microsoft, and that he hopes to collaborate with OpenAI in the future.

November 22, 2023: Altman rejoins OpenAI as CEO.

In a dramatic turnaround, OpenAI announces that Altman will return as the CEO of the company, after reaching an agreement with the board. The agreement also involves a major reshuffle of the board, which will now include former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, who was on the original board. Greg Brockman, the co-founder and former chairman of OpenAI, will also rejoin the company as the president. Altman says that he loves OpenAI and that everything he has done over the past few days has been in service of keeping the team and the mission together.

He also thanks Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for his support and says that he will continue to collaborate with Microsoft in the future. The board says that it is encouraged by the changes and that it believes that this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. The announcement is welcomed by many OpenAI employees and investors, who had threatened to quit or withdraw their support if Altman was not reinstated.

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