In a surprising move, Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, has been sacked from the artificial intelligence company.
OpenAI's board said in a statement that Altman's departure "follows a deliberative review process," which concluded "he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities."
"The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI," it added.
It has appointed Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, to an interim CEO role effective immediately.
"I loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. Most of all I loved working with such talented people. Will have more to say about what's next later," posted Altman on X.
Altman's departure is surprising given his role as a prominent figure in the AI revolution and a key influencer in shaping the industry.
Since the introduction of ChatGPT, major tech companies have strived to compete with OpenAI, and world leaders have sought Altman's insights and investments.
Hours after Altman's sacking, Greg Brockman, another co-founder of OpenAI, announced his resignation as president and co-founder of OpenAI.
"I’m super proud of what we've all built together since starting in my apartment 8 years ago," Brockman wrote in a post on the social media site X.
"We’ve been through tough & great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible. But based on today's news, I quit."
"Genuinely wishing you all nothing but the best," Brockman wrote in his post. "I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe (artificial general intelligence) that benefits all of humanity."
According to The Washington Post, in Silicon Valley, Altman was recognised as a savvy investor and supporter of smaller companies. The rise of OpenAI elevated him to the status of tech titans such as Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and even the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Just last week, Altman presented OpenAI's new roadmap to enthusiastic developers at the company's inaugural conference.
This unexpected departure has sent shock waves through the technology industry.
Originally established as a nonprofit in 2015, OpenAI aimed to prevent advanced AI from falling into the hands of monopolistic corporations.
However, after receiving a significant investment from Microsoft in 2019, the company transitioned to a for-profit structure.
OpenAI continues to assert its commitment to building AI for the benefit of humanity, but recent developments suggest a more conventional business approach.
