OpenAI Stability Threatened: Tech Giants Woo Employees Amidst Mass Walkout Threats
Summary:
Facing a crisis after the unexpected firing of its CEO Sam Altman, leading technology firm OpenAI could face a mass walkout from its employees. In response, top executives from Microsoft, Salesforce, Nvidia, and Meta's FAIR have offered these workers lucrative opportunities within their organizations. If OpenAI doesn't retain its core team and continue with its new CEO, Emmett Shear, alternative outcomes could include a potential corporate takeover by large companies such as Microsoft. The future of OpenAI lies in the balance as it remains unclear whether the employees will follow through on their threat to resign en masse if Altman isn't reinstated.
The unexpected dismissal of OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman may have put the company’s stability at risk. As a result, a significant portion of the workforce is contemplating a walkout if the firing is not overturned. Adding to the drama, top executives from big technology companies have offered job opportunities to those considering leaving the company.
In a message to the staff at OpenAI, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott expressed his support, assuring them they would have a position at Microsoft’s new AI Research Lab that respects their current compensation and furthers their communal mission.
Similarly, Salesforce's founder and CEO, Marc Benioff, assured OpenAI researchers considering resignation an equal or better offer if they choose to join Salesforce’s Trusted AI research team under Silvio Savarese.
Other influential figures like Meta's FAIR team leader and Nvidia have shown an interest in hiring former OpenAI employees, promising them suitable placements within their divisions.
This surge of support follows a year of extremes for OpenAI. The latter launched the widely hailed "ChatGPT" in November 2022, and its valuation skyrocketed to a staggering $86 billion. However, the sudden removal of Altman on November 17 has triggered an internal crisis within the firm. Currently, 700 out of the supposed 770 employees, including the only remaining co-founder on the company's board, Ilya Sutskever, have voiced their intention to leave if Altman is not reinstated.
An employee walkout in the tech industry following a company reshuffle is not an unusual event. However, this situation might lead to a larger impact. Speculation is rife about different outcomes. One such conjecture involves Microsoft potentially hiring all the available OpenAI employees, which could, in effect, lead to a hostile takeover of OpenAI.
Yet, various other outcomes are plausible as well. Recent claims indicate that OpenAI’s board and newly appointed CEO, Emmett Shear, are engaged in strenuous discussions with employees and other stakeholders. If successful, OpenAI might maintain its core team and continue under the helm of the new CEO. However, the hiring of Sam Altman as Microsoft's CEO for an undisclosed new AI subdivision may complicate matters further as Altman might not be motivated to lead OpenAI anymore.
Whether OpenAI employees will follow through on their threat to walk out if the decision is not reversed or if Sam Altman chooses not to return remains unknown. OpenAI and Microsoft were not immediately available to provide any comments.
Published At
11/21/2023 4:42:03 PM
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