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OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

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Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#361

Post by adharmad »

crop_rotation wrote: post #60

The board seems truly incompetent here and looking at the member list it doesn't seem very surprising. A competent board should have asked for legal and professional advice before taking a drastic step like this. Instead the board thought it was a boxing match and tried to deliver a knockout punch before the market closes with blunt language. This might be the most incompetent board for an organisation of this size.

It was complete amateur hour for the board.

But that aside, how did so many clueless folks who understand neither the technology, or the legalese, nor have enough intelligence/acumen to forsee the immediate impact of their actions happen to be on the board of one of the most important tech companies?

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#362

Post by dereg »

kelsey9876543 wrote: post #191
dereg wrote: post #13

I don’t understand why and how they didn’t consider this sort of discussion before so unceremoniously firing him. The others on the board outside Ilya need to go. I don’t consider anybody beyond forgiveness and if Ilya takes a professional lesson from this and Sam learns to be more mindful of others’ concerns, I consider this a win for all. Starting over in a new entity sounds great but would be years of setback. I h…

Why do you not think Ilya was the cheif architect of this failed coup? Im being serious everything ive seen points to him being the one responsible, there is no way he will ever stay let alone work in tech again

I do think he was the chief architect of the coup. I do think his beliefs and ideals are still valuable flora for a company of this ambition. There just needs to be a more professional structure for him to voice them.

Dealing with folks like Ilya isn't necessarily a matter of if, but how much.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#363

Post by ilaksh »

chipgap98 wrote: post #341
ilaksh wrote: post #237

I am not sure it really makes sense for the investors to continue with OpenAI. It seems like this incident proved that the constitution of the company wasn't really compatible with a profit focus. It was a split from the beginning, and obviously a questionable arrangement. It just came to a head to make it obvious. The business and investment people want to make money. Many of the researchers want to take their time…

1. There is so much momentum around OpenAI that it would be tough to walk away 2. I imagine they could find a better way to setup governance so the nonprofit entity still exists but the for profit entity has a bit more autonomy

Good points. It might be possible. I feel like they would have to change the structure in a practical way.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#364

Post by eigenvalue »

dkarras wrote: post #349

>The Information reported that Altman was already meeting with investors to raise funds for such a project. One source close to Altman said that both options remained possible. “I think he truly wants the best outcome,” said the person. “He doesn’t want to see lives destroyed.” Lives destroyed? This is either a reporting error or is a very weird thing to say. Unless the source insinuates that Altman is willing to des…

I think he means people who have invested huge amounts of their energies for years into the venture and view it as their highest and best calling getting forced out (or feeling like they have to leave). For many of them it's not just a job.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#365

Post by zxndaaaaz2 »

brigadier132 wrote: post #62
gkoberger wrote: post #24

I'd bet money Satya was a driver of this reversal. I genuinely can't believe the board didn't see this coming. I think they could have won in the court of public opinion if their press release said they loved Sam but felt like his skills and ambitions diverged from their mission. But instead, they tried to skewer him, and it backfired completely. I hope Sam comes back. He'll make a lot more money if he doesn't, but I…

I bet it was multifaceted. By firing Sam this way they nuked their ability to raise funds because anyone investing in the "for profit" subsidiary would have to do so with the understanding that the non-profit could undermine them at a whim. Also, all the employees are being paid with PPUs which is a share in future profits, and now they find out that actually, the company doesn't care about making profit! A lot of to…

[flagged]

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#366

Post by jessenaser »

Even though the country was against you, you should come back and lead it to freedom.

If the entire board can be replaced, then Sam should come back. Even though he can build a new company tomorrow. A leader will come back to lead the best shot anyone has gotten in AI development so far.

This was a power grab and it did not work. Not coming back is letting four people derail history and slow the development of AGI.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#367

Post by bcrosby95 »

corethree wrote: post #125
AndrewKemendo wrote: post #54

You know, I always found Mike judge to probably be the most prescient of all of the science fiction authors. In Office Space, Idiocracy, and most relevant here in Silicon Valley; he accurately, and very precisely not only forecasts, but deconstructs the reasoning, and vapid lack of core philosophy behind each of the real life narratives he’s parodying. That serious people still consider Silicon Valley as some kind of…

What you're not realizing is that it's like this everywhere. It's not exclusive to SV. Politics is part of human life. Adults are just kids with money.

The difference between some adults and toddlers if we've written off the adults as unfixable.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#368

Post by startupsfail »

statictype wrote: post #232
Jensson wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I hope Sam comes back Why? We would have more diversity in this space if he leaves, which would get us another AI startup with huge funding and know how from OpenAI, while OpenAI would become less Sam Altman like. I think him staying is bad for the field overall compared to OpenAI splitting in two.

How much of OpenAI’s success can you attribute to sama’s leadership and how much to the technical achievements of those who work under him. My understanding is that OpenAI’s biggest advantage is that they recruited and attracted the best in the field, presumably under the charter of providing AI for everyone. Not sure that sama and gdb starting their own company in the same space will produce similar results.

Big part of it is a typical YC execution of a product/pump/hype/VC/scale cycle and ignoring every ethical rule.

If you ever stood in the hall of YC and listened to Zuck pumping the founders, you’ll understand.

I’d argue this is a useful thing to lift up a nonprofit on a path to AGI, but hardly a good way to govern a company that builds AGI/ASI technology in the long term.

Re: OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO

#370

Post by kelsey9876543 »

icelancer wrote: post #347
abi wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How are they leveraging them? My understanding is Microsoft has no power over the board.

Contracts are only worth their language if parties are willing to fight for them. Taking on Microsoft and hoards of angry billionaires with a piece of paper separating you from them might be more of a war than they expected.

Contracts were made to be broken. Its always about who is more powerful, the law was designed for the wealthy to win every time.
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