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We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

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Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#761

If OpenAI remains a 501(c)(3) charity, then any employee of Microsoft on the board will have a fiduciary duty to advance the mission of the charity, rather than the business needs of Microsoft. There are obvious conflicts of interest here. I don't expect the IRS to be a fan of this arrangement.

My guess is that the non-profit has never gotten this kind of scrutiny now and the new directors are going to want to get lawyers involved to cover their asses. Just imagine their positions when Sam Altman really does something worth firing.

I think it was a real mistake to create OpenAI as a public charity and I would be hesitant to step into that mess. Imagine the fun when it tips into a private foundation status.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#762

The media and the VCs are treating Sam like some hero and savior of AI. I’m not getting it. What has he done in life and/or AI to deserve so much respect and admiration? Why don’t top researchers and scientists get equivalent (if not more) respect, admiration and support? It looks like one should strive to become product manager, not an engineer or a scientist.

Below is a good thread, which maybe contains the answer to your question, and Ken Olsen's question about why brainiac MIT grads get managed by midwit HBS grads.

https://twitter.com/coloradotravis/status/172606030573668790...

A good leader is someone you'll follow into battle, because you want to do right by the team, and you know the leader and the team will do right by you. Whatever 'leadership' is, Sam Altman has it and the board does not.

https://www.ft.com/content/05b80ba4-fcc3-4f39-a0c3-97b025418...

The board could have said, hey we don't like this direction and you are not keeping us in the loop, it's time for an orderly change. But they knew that wouldn't go well for them either. They chose to accuse Sam of malfeasance and be weaselly ratfuckers on some level themselves, even if they felt for still-inscrutable reasons that was their only/best choice and wouldn't go down the way it did.

Sam Altman is the front man who 'gave us' ChatGPT regardless of everything else Ilya and everyone else did. A personal brand (or corporate) is about trust, if you have a brand you are playing a long-term game, a reputation converts prisoner's dilemma into iterated prisoner's dilemma which has a different outcome.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#763

With Sam coming back as CEO, hasn't OpenAI board proven that it has lost its function? Regardless of who is in the board, they won't be able to exercise one of the most fundamental of their rights, firing the CEO, because Sam has proven that he is unfireable. Now, Sam can do however he pleases, whether it is lying, not reporting, etc. To be clear, I don't claim that Sam did, or will, lie, or misbehave.

This is a better deal for the board and a worse one for Sam than people realize. Sam and Greg and even Ilya are both off the board, D'Angelo gets to stay on despite his outrageous actions, and he gets veto power over who the new board members will be and a big say in who gets voted on to the board next. Everybody's guard is going to be up around Sam from now on. He'll have much less leverage over this board than he d…

This board's sole job is to pick the new board. The new board will have Sam.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#764

The media and the VCs are treating Sam like some hero and savior of AI. I’m not getting it. What has he done in life and/or AI to deserve so much respect and admiration? Why don’t top researchers and scientists get equivalent (if not more) respect, admiration and support? It looks like one should strive to become product manager, not an engineer or a scientist.

Simply put Altman is now the face of AI. If you were to ask Altman himself though im sure he would highlight the true innovators of AI that he holds in high respect.

He is but with a caveat. In this 5D chess game of firing him and getting him back into OpenAI put all the spotlights on him.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#765

Fascinating, I see a lot of VC/Msfot has overthrown our NPO governing structure because of profit incentives narrative. I don't think this is what really happened at all. The reason this decision was made was because 95% of employees sided with Sam on this issue, and the board didn't explain themselves in any way at all. So it was Sam + 95% of employees + All investors against the board. In which case the board shoul…

next time, can't wait to see what happens when capital is on the opposite side of the 95% of employees.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#766
post #215

Disappointing outcome. The process has conclusively confirmed that OpenAI is in fact not open and that it is effectively controlled by Microsoft. Furthermore, the overwhelming groupthink shows there's clearly little critical thinking amongst OpenAI's employees either. It might not seem like the case right now, but I think the real disruption is just about to begin. OpenAI does not have in its DNA to win, they're too…

The Hacker News comments section has really gone to shit. People here used to back up their bold claims with arguments.

It is quite amazing how many people know enough to pass wide judgment on hundreds of people because... they just know. Feel it in their gut.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#767
post #657

I would be surprised if the original board’s reasons for caving in were not influenced by personal factors. They must’ve been receiving all kinds of threats from those involved and from random twitter extremists. It is troubling because it shows that this “external” governance meant to make decisions for the good of humanity is unable to enforce decisions. The internal employees were obviously swayed by financial gai…

>They must’ve been receiving all kinds of threats from those involved and from random twitter extremists.

Oooh, yeah. "Must have".

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#768
post #760

OpenAI's Future and Viability - OpenAI has damaged their brand and lost trust, but may still become a hugely successful company if they build great products - OpenAI looks stronger now with a more professional board, but has fundamentally transformed into a for-profit focused on commercializing LLMs - OpenAI still retains impressive talent and technology assets and could pivot into a leading AI provider if managed we…

No structure or organization is stronger when their leader emerged as "irreplaceable".

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#769
post #760

OpenAI's Future and Viability - OpenAI has damaged their brand and lost trust, but may still become a hugely successful company if they build great products - OpenAI looks stronger now with a more professional board, but has fundamentally transformed into a for-profit focused on commercializing LLMs - OpenAI still retains impressive talent and technology assets and could pivot into a leading AI provider if managed we…

Gpt-generated summary?

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#770
post #760

OpenAI's Future and Viability - OpenAI has damaged their brand and lost trust, but may still become a hugely successful company if they build great products - OpenAI looks stronger now with a more professional board, but has fundamentally transformed into a for-profit focused on commercializing LLMs - OpenAI still retains impressive talent and technology assets and could pivot into a leading AI provider if managed we…

> Employees followed the money trail and Sam to preserve their equity and careers

Would you not when the AI safety wokes decide the torch the rewards of your hard work of grinding for years? I feel there is less groupthink and everyone saw the board as it is and their inability lead, or even act rationally. OpenAI did not just become a sinking ship, but it was unnecessary sunk by someone not skin in the game and your personal wealth and success was tied to the ship.

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