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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

#41

Post by Uehreka »

x86x87 wrote: post #6

Title says: OpenAI's employees were given two explanations for why Sam Altman was fired. They're unconvinced and furious. Some breaking news: An employer does not owe you an explanation. You exchange money for labor. If anyone thinks for a second that they are essential or that anyone would prioritize them over the company I think they are delusional. OpenAI is a brand (at least in tech) with large recognition and th…

> An employer does not owe you an explanation.

If the entire workforce of the company is credibly threatening to quit, and a competitor is publicly and credibly offering them jobs, then what the employer “owes” them in some cosmic sense no longer matters. I think the OpenAI employees are likely to get an explanation and/or a resignation from the board, whether you think the board “owes” them that or not.

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

#42

Post by samspenc »

ajb wrote: post #32

Should we start flagging these -what do people think? This is what, the 12th front page story today about the openAI drama? Also wondering why the mods don't consolidate them

I think because OpenAI and LLMs are the most interesting piece of technology news at this point in time? Plus add all the drama right now.

I'm not saying its right or not, but this is probably why people are upvoting anything new about what is going on there. Personally, I'm very interested in seeing how things play out.

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

#43

Post by bhouston »

fullshark wrote: post #30
Jensson wrote: post #5

The two reasons: > Sustkever is said to have offered two explanations he purportedly received from the board, according to one of the people familiar. One explanation was that Altman was said to have given two people at OpenAI the same project. > The other was that Altman allegedly gave two board members different opinions about a member of personnel. An OpenAI spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Isn't Sustkever on the board? Why is this phrased like he isn't and is just delivering a message?

In this situation the most powerful people on the board should have been Altman, Brockman and Sutskever. The others were sort of nice to haves who were there just to fill it out. For them to run this coup is just insane. There has to be more to it. Someone has to be pulling the strings with a plan.

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

#44

Post by gizmondo »

impulser_ wrote: post #31

There is no way this is true. If it is the board might be the dumbest people alive. You fire the CEO and completely destroy a 90b company because of these two reasons? No wonder everyone wants out. I would think I was going crazy if I sat in a meeting and heard these two reason.

> You completely destroy a 90b company because of these two reasons?

Hanlon's razor aside, maybe that was the intention.

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

#45

Post by fullshark »

prepend wrote: post #34

So Surdkever fires Altman, then signs a letter saying they’ll quit unless he’s reinstated. There’s only 4 board members, right? Who wanted him fired. Is this a situation where they all thought the others wanted him fired and were just stupid? Have they been feeding motions into chatgpt and asking “should add I do this?”

Seems most likely Sustkever wanted him fired and then realized his mistake. Ultimately the board was probably quietly seething about the direction the company was headed, got mad enough to retake the reigns with that stunt and then realized what that actually meant.

Now they are trying to unring the bell but cannot.

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

#46

Post by ben_w »

woeirua wrote: post #22

Beyond parody. To fire the CEO of _any_ company over this is insane. It really looks like the board went rogue and decided to shut the company down. Are we sure this isn’t some kind of decapitation strike by GPT5? That seems more credible by the minute now.

My current ill-informed guess is blackmail against the board with a demand to stop further development. Obviously I have no evidence, but it fits marginally less poorly than the other random guesses people are making.

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

#47

Post by dekhn »

bloopernova wrote: post #36

"Sustkever is said to have offered two explanations he purportedly received from the board" I'd like some corroboration for that statement because Sustkever has said very inconsistent things during this whole merry debacle.

Also, since he's on the board, and it wouldn't have been Brockman or Altman who gave him this info... there are only three people left: "non-employees Adam D’Angelo, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner."

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

#48

Post by cowthulhu »

It’s amazing how every action the board takes (or the new CEO chosen by the board) just makes them look worse.

I’d like to offer my consulting services: my new consulting company will come in, and then whatever you want to do we will tell you not to. We provide immense value by stopping companies like OpenAI from shooting off their foot. And then their other foot. And then one of their hands.

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

#49

Post by x86x87 »

cpncrunch wrote: post #40
x86x87 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends. If you are seeing your job more than just a means to an ends maybe. If you see it as transactional and you need the company to stay in business while you work there why would you bother looking for a new job?

If the company is prepared to make up a BS reason to fire the CEO, do you really want to bet on them looking after you? I would guess that most of the people working at openai could get a job anywhere.

most people working at openai are subject to the same harsh market conditions everyone is.

also, do you really care that the CEO was fired as long as you are getting payed what it was agreed upon when you got hired and you are doing interesting work?

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

#50

Post by fullshark »

bhouston wrote: post #43
fullshark wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't Sustkever on the board? Why is this phrased like he isn't and is just delivering a message?

In this situation the most powerful people on the board should have been Altman, Brockman and Sutskever. The others were sort of nice to haves who were there just to fill it out. For them to run this coup is just insane. There has to be more to it. Someone has to be pulling the strings with a plan.

Put me in the "Ilya didn't realize what firing Altman / demoting Brockman would actually mean and is trying to correct his mistake" camp.
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