ChatGPT parent and prominent AI research and deployment company, OpenAI announced Friday that CEO Sam Altman was leaving, after the board concluded that it no longer confided in his abilities to lead the organization.
While the search process to appoint a permanent successor is underway, Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati fills in the role as interim CEO.
Altman took to X, formerly Twitter to say, “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 [sic].” He also said he will have more to say about his next move soon.
The company, now backed by Microsoft, was founded in 2015 as a non-profit. Sam Altman who co-founded the organization took up the role of CEO in 2019, serving as a prominent figure in the recent developments around artificial intelligence and the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
Advocating for better use of artificial intelligence, he appeared before Congress this year to testify about new rules for artificial intelligence.
The board said it was grateful for Altman’s contributions but they believed that new leadership was necessary.
As a part of the transition, Chairman of the board Greg Brockman will also be stepping down from his position but remain in his role at the company, reporting to the CEO.