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OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

businessinsider.com

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Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#261

Post by mcherm »

ssnistfajen wrote: post #190
stingraycharles wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I understand, Microsoft realizes this and gives them the equivalent of their OAI stock options in MSFT stock options if they join them now. For some employees, this may mean $10MM+

More evidence the layoffs are 100% BS. Suddenly there's surplus headcount and magical budgets out of nothing, all to accommodate several hundreds of people with way-above-market-average TCs. It's almost like they were never in danger of hurting profit margins in the first place.

It is entirely reasonable for there to be dire financial straits that require layoffs, yet when a $10 billion investment suddenly blows up and has to be saved the money can be spent to fix it.

In the first case it wasn't that there was no cash in the bank and no bank willing to make loans, but that the company needed to spend less than it earned in order to make a profit. In the second case it wasn't that the money had been hidden in a mattress, but that it was raised/freed-up at some risk which was necessary because of the $10 billion investment.

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#264

Post by jacquesm »

choppaface wrote: post #136

Adam DAngelo, once one of the more level-headed Facebook alumni, and bar far the most experienced OpenAI Board member, is now nowhere to be found? Is he hiding out with Sam Trabucco somewhere?

His laywer likely told him to lay very low. In his basement or something.

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#265

Post by hal009 »

kumarvvr wrote: post #65

Giving 2 people the same project? Isnt this like the thing to do to get differing approaches and then release the amalgamation of the two? I thought these sorts of things are common. Giving different opinions on same person is a reason to fire a CEO? This board has no reason to fire, or does not want to give the actual reason to fire Sam. They messed up.

As mentioned by another person in this thread [0], it is likely that it was Ilya's work that was getting replicated by another "secret" team, and the "different opinions on the same person" was Sam's opinions of Ilya. Perhaps Sam saw him as an unstable element and a single point of failure in the company, and wanted to make sure that OpenAI would be able to continue without Ilya?

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=38357843

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#266

Post by aravindgp »

kmlevitt wrote: post #81

Neither of these reasons have anything to do with a lofty ideology regarding the safety of AGI or OpenAI’s nonprofit status. Rather it seems they are micromanaging personnel decisions. Also notice that Ilya Sutskever is presenting the reasons for the firing as just something he was told. This is important, because people were siding with the board under the understanding this firing was led by the head research scien…

Exactly my point why would d Angelo want openai to thrive when his own company poe(chatbot) wants compete in the same space. Its conflict of interest which ever way you look. He should resign from board of openai in the first place.

The main point is greg, Ilya can get 50% vote and convince Helen toner to change decision. It's all done then it's 3 to 2 in board of 5 people. Unless greg board membership is reinstated.

Now it's increasingly look like Sam will be heading back into the role of CEO of openai.

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#267

Post by dang »

Aloha wrote: post #241
dang wrote: post #63

As this article seems to have the latest information, let's treat it as the next instalment. There's also Inside The Chaos at OpenAI - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38341399 , which I've re-upped because it has backstory that doesn't seem to have been reported elsewhere. Edit: if you want to read about our approach to handling tsunami topics like this, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38357788 . -- Her…

I see why you recommended that Atlantic article, its very very good.

I was just copying what simonw said! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38341857

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#268

Post by JumpCrisscross »

minimaxir wrote: post #230
PheonixPharts wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes these people should all be doing more to feed internet drama! If they don't act soon, HN will have all sorts of wild opinions about what's going on and we can't have that! Even worse, if we don't have near constant updates, we might realize this is not all that important in the end and move on to other news items! I know, I know, I shouldn't jest when this could have grave consequences like changing which uri you…

No serious company wants drama. Hopefully OpenAI is still a serious company. A statement from the CEO/the board is a standard descalation.

> No serious company wants drama

"All PR is good PR" is a meme for a reason. Many cultures thrive on dysfunction, particularly the kind that calls attention to themselves.

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#269

Post by jacquesm »

abnry wrote: post #202
bnralt wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's wouldn't be that surprising, I've seen these kind of group dynamics play out fairly often. If D'Angelo, McCauley, and Toner formed a clique, and Sustkever was easily influenced by clique politics, that's all it would take. A lot of people will buckle surprisingly fast to social pressure and clique politics. Its also something that can blindside hardworking individuals who assume that others are above this type o…

If this is the case, and Ilya is truly a non-political guy, I feel awful about how badly he was manipulated.

Imagine how he feels.

Re: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired

#270

Post by [deleted] »

Aloha wrote: post #241
dang wrote: post #63

As this article seems to have the latest information, let's treat it as the next instalment. There's also Inside The Chaos at OpenAI - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38341399 , which I've re-upped because it has backstory that doesn't seem to have been reported elsewhere. Edit: if you want to read about our approach to handling tsunami topics like this, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38357788 . -- Her…

I see why you recommended that Atlantic article, its very very good.

[deleted]
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