OpenAI reveals significant board shakeup

OpenAI has undergone a sudden shift in its board in conjunction with the return of Sam Altman as the firm’s CEO, according to Business Insider and other sources.

Along with Altman’s swift reappointment, OpenAI has assembled a new interim board consisting of tech industry insiders Adam D’Angelo and Bret Taylor, as well as economist Larry Summers.Former board members Ilya Sutskever, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley have departed the company. OpenAI has yet to respond to requests for comment about their future involvement with the company, which were sent outside regular business hours.

Bret Taylor to Serve as Initial Board Chair

The announcement that Taylor will serve as the chair for the initial board marks a significant movement for OpenAI, as it continues to innovate and push boundaries in the AI industry.

The firm OpenAI, which focuses on developing artificial intelligence technologies safely and responsibly, will benefit from the real-world experience of its new board members in tech.

Larry Summers, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and ex-Harvard president, adds an economic perspective to OpenAI's board, while Taylor, a longtime product developer and executive with  Salesforce, brings valuable expertise from the enterprise software sector. Adam D'Angelo, CEO of Quora, also bolsters the board with his knowledge of internet-based technology focused around user-generated content.

The announcement to reappoint Altman came just four days after his sudden firing that thrust OpenAI into disarray. Altman’s brief ouster also sparked an employee revolt, followed by overtures by OpenAI partner Microsoft and others in the AI space to keep Altman in place.