What a moment we just experienced. Just a few days after announcing a bunch of new features at OpenAI Dev Day, Sam Altman was fired by the OpenAI’s board in a dramatic turn of events. Here’s a detailed timeline from insider sources:

Nov 6th, 2023

  • OpenAI Dev Day Announcements: Assistants, GPT-4 Turbo 128K, and GPTs were unveiled.
  • Ilya Sutskever’s Concerns: Voiced skepticism about the GPTs Store, fearing it contradicts OpenAI’s mission.
  • Safety Risks: Concerns raised about the uncontrollable nature of user-created GPTs.

Nov 14th, 2023

  • Launch of GPTs: Overwhelming sign-ups for ChatGPT Plus, exceeding OpenAI’s expectations.
  • Serious Incident: A major, undisclosed issue led to the suspension of A/B Testing for GPTs and Turbo 128K.
  • Communication Breakdown: Sam Altman withheld incident details from the board.

Nov 15th, 2023

  • Resolution and Revelation: The incident was resolved; however, Altman’s delayed report caused board friction.
  • Board’s Reaction: Felt undermined by the lack of timely communication.
  • Support for Altman: Greg Brockman advocated for trust in Altman’s decisions.

Nov 16th, 2023

  • ChatGPT Plus Registrations Halted: Board’s decision to halt ChatGPT Plus registrations to ensure readiness for launch.
  • Secret Meeting: Ilya Sutskever held a clandestine meeting with the board, excluding Altman and Brockman.

Nov 17th, 2023

  • Sudden Dismissal: Altman and Brockman received unexpected news of Altman’s firing via Google Meet.
  • Board Restructuring: Greg Brockman removed from the board, sparking staff unrest.
  • Employee Backlash: Significant portion of OpenAI staff threaten to leave along with Altman and Brockman.

Nov 18th, 2023

  • Employee Ultimatum: OpenAI staff demand board resignation through Slack, set 5:00 PM deadline.
  • Turn of Events: Altman agrees to return following board’s resignation.
  • Resignation and Return: Board announces impending resignation; staff informed of Altman’s comeback.

The situation remains fluid, with the board’s resignation pending and the community closely watching the unfolding events.

Reflections on Leadership Dynamics at OpenAI

  • The Power Struggle and Vision for OpenAI:

    • There’s widespread speculation that Ilya’s actions were a final attempt to thwart Sam Altman’s drive to transform OpenAI into a for-profit entity. The core of this argument hinges on OpenAI’s foundational mission.

  • Questioning Mira’s Interim Leadership:

    • If maintaining OpenAI’s original vision was the priority, appointing Mira as the interim leader seems contradictory. Mira was instrumental in conceptualizing ChatGPT Plus, even proposing a $45 price point. It was Altman who advocated for a more accessible $20 fee. This raises questions about the decision-making process and the prioritization of OpenAI’s values.

  • An Alternative Leadership Proposal:

    • Given these circumstances, John Schulman could be considered a more fitting choice for leadership, aligning more closely with OpenAI’s ethos.

  • Ilya’s Motivations:

    • The situation strongly suggests that Ilya’s moves were motivated by a belief that Sam Altman’s approach was overly aggressive, especially regarding the commercialization of AI without adequately addressing safety concerns.