"OpenAI is nothing without its people": Employees tweet against board's sudden decision

Several OpenAI employees are coming out to social media in support of their sacked former boss and AI wizz, Sam Altman. 

OpenAI’s board of directors sacked Altman last Friday, citing that they “no longer has confidence” in the former Reddit CEO. The Microsoft-backed tech company then reportedly asked for Altman to return due to pressures, but then hired ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear as interim CEO.

Since then, support for Altman has been outpouring from OpenAI employees. Most of them took to X (fka Twitter) to tweet: “OpenAI is nothing without its people.”

?? https://t.co/NnTA6cArte

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 20, 2023

The list includes Mira Murati, whom the board initially appointed as interim CEO, chief strategy officer Jason Kwon, COO Brad Lightcap, VP of product Peter Welinder, research scientist Hyung Won Chung, product designer Maddie Simens, and many more. 

“I love you all. Today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. The outpouring of love is awesome,” Altman took to X shortly after his dismissal news broke out.

Altman then joined Microsoft alongside Greg Brockman, former OpenAI president who also resigned after Altman’s departure, and more OAI employees to join Redmond’s “new advanced AI research team.”

Will a mass exodus follow?