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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

#801

Post by tremon »

wilde wrote: post #788
mcv wrote: post #659

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This certainly feels like the most likely true reason to me. Altman fundraising for this new investment, and taking money from people the board does not approve of, and Altman possible promised not to do business with. Of course it's all speculation, but this sounds a lot more plausible for such a sudden and dramatic decision than any of the other explanations I've heard.

If this is true why not say it though? They didn’t even have lawyers telling them to be quiet until Monday.

Are you suggesting that all people will do irresponsible things unless specifically advised not to by lawyers?

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

#802

Post by mrits »

twic wrote: post #760
rightbyte wrote: post #625

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a decision that destroyed billions of dollars worth of brand value and good will I mean, there seem to be this cult following around Sam Altman on HN and Twitter. But do the common user care like at all? What sane user would want a shitcoin CEO in charge of a product they depend on?

Altman is an interesting character in all of this. As far as i can tell, he has never done anything impressive, in technology or business. Got into Stanford, but dropped out, founded a startup in 2005 which threw easy money at a boring problem and after seven years, sold for a third more than it raised. Got hired into YC after it was already well-established, and then rapidly put in charge of it. I have no knowledge…

If you only hire people with a record of previous accomplishments you are going to pay for their previous success. Being able to find talent without using false indicators like a Stanford degree is why PG is PG

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

#803

Post by Applejinx »

sumedh wrote: post #751
nottheengineer wrote: post #741

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right here: https://openai.com/charter

Which line specifically says they will keep AGI out of the hands of “big tech companies”.

'unduly concentrate power'

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

#804

Post by passion__desire »

dheavy wrote: post #748
passion__desire wrote: post #596

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fast fashion and fashion industry in general is useless to society. But rich jobless people need a place to hangout so they create an activity to justify.

> fashion industry in general is useless to society > rich jobless people need a place to hangout You're talking about an industry that generates approximately $1.5 trillion globally, employing more than 60 million people globally, from multi-disciplinary skills in fashion design, illustration, web development, e-commerce, AI, digital marketing.

well, web3 created lot of economic activity and jobs, it doesn't mean it is useful.

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

#805

Post by zztop44 »

kmlevitt wrote: post #609
LarsDu88 wrote: post #487

There has to be a bigger story to this. Altman took a non-profit and vacuumed up a bunch of donor money only to flip Open AI into the hottest TC style startup in the world. Then put a gas pedal to commercialization. It takes a certain type of politicking and deception to make something like that happen. Then in the past week, he's going and taking money from the Saudis on the order of billions of dollars to make AI a…

People keep speculating sensational, justifiable reasons to fire Altman. But if these were actual factors in their decision, why doesn't the board just say so? Until they say otherwise, I am going to take them at their word that it was because he a) hired two people to do the same project, and b) gave two board members different accounts of the same employee. It's not my job nor the internet's to try to think up bett…

I agree, and what’s more I think the stated reasons make sense if (a) the person/people impacted by these behaviours had sway with the board, and (b) it was a pattern of behaviour that everyone was already pissed off about.

If board relations have been acrimonious and adversarial for months, and things are just getting worse, then I can imagine someone powerful bringing evidence of (yet another instance of) bad/unscrupulous/disrespectful behavior to the board, and a critical mass of the board feeling they’ve reached a “now or never” breaking point and making a quick decision to get it over with and wear the consequence.

Of course, it seems that they have miscalculated the consequences and botched the execution. Although we’ll have to see how it pans out.

I’m speculating like everyone else. But knowing how board relations can be, it’s one scenario that fits the evidence we do have and doesn’t require anyone involved to be anything other than human.

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

#806

Post by [deleted] »

23B1 wrote: post #515
lolinder wrote: post #510

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What specific legal action could be pursued against them where you're from? Who would have a cause for action? (I'm genuinely curious—in the US I'm not aware of any action that could be taken here by anyone besides possibly Sam Altman for libel.)

Shareholder lawsuits happen all the time for much smaller issues.

[deleted]

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

#807

Post by [deleted] »

sigmoid10 wrote: post #702
benterix wrote: post #692

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Moreover, if this is true, he could reasonably well continue knowing that he has more power than the board. I could almost imagine the board saying, "You can't do that" and him replying "Watch me!" because he understood he is more powerful than them. And he proved he was right, and the board can either step down and lose completely or try to continue and destroy whatever is left of OpenAI.

The thing is, they could have just come out with that fact and everyone in the alignment camp and people who memed the whole super-commercialized "Open" AI thing would be on their side. But the fact that they haven't means that either there was no greater-good mission related reason for ousting Sam or the board is just completely incompetent at communication. Either way, they need to go and make room for people who c…

[deleted]

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

#808

Post by mensetmanusman »

arrosenberg wrote: post #556
jelling wrote: post #547

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What exactly is the problem here? Is a non-profit expected to exclusively help impoverished communities or something? Yes. Yes and more yes. That is why, at least in the U.S., we have given non-profits exemptions from taxation. Because they are supposed to be improving society, not profiting from it.

> That is why, at least in the U.S., we have given non-profits exemptions from taxation. That's your belief . The NFL, Heritage Foundation and Scientology are all non-profits and none of them improve society; they all profit from it. (For what its' worth, I wish the law was more aligned with your worldview)

it's also your belief that sports like the nfl do not improve society ...

beliefs can't be proven or disproven, they are axioms.

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

#809

Post by LastTrain »

hooande wrote: post #530
LarsDu88 wrote: post #487

There has to be a bigger story to this. Altman took a non-profit and vacuumed up a bunch of donor money only to flip Open AI into the hottest TC style startup in the world. Then put a gas pedal to commercialization. It takes a certain type of politicking and deception to make something like that happen. Then in the past week, he's going and taking money from the Saudis on the order of billions of dollars to make AI a…

Alternative theory: ChatGPT was a runaway hit product that sucked up a lot of the organization's resources and energy. Sam and Greg wanted to roll with it and others on the board did not. They voted on it and one side won. There isn't a bigger, more interesting story here. This is in fact a very common story that plays out at many software companies. The board of openai ended up making a decision that destroyed billi…

Yep. I think you've explained the origins of most decisions, bad and good - they are reactionary.

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

#810

Post by wilde »

tremon wrote: post #801
wilde wrote: post #788

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this is true why not say it though? They didn’t even have lawyers telling them to be quiet until Monday.

Are you suggesting that all people will do irresponsible things unless specifically advised not to by lawyers?

The irresponsible thing is to not explain yourself and assume everyone around you has no agency.
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