OpenAI, the artificial intelligence startup, announced on Friday that its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, will be reinstated to the company’s board of directors.
The decision follows a thorough investigation by law firm WilmerHale into Altman’s brief sacking and subsequent rehiring.
According to a blog post released by OpenAI, the investigation revealed that Altman’s conduct “did not mandate his removal” last year.
Instead, the termination was attributed to a “breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust” between Altman and the previous board members.
OpenAI expressed “full confidence” in Altman’s leadership after reviewing the findings from the law firm’s investigation. The company acknowledged that while the prior board acted within its discretion to terminate Altman, his conduct did not necessitate removal.
As part of the resolution, Altman will rejoin the board, and OpenAI will welcome three new board members: Nicole Seligman, former CEO of Sony Entertainment; Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart; and Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
In addition to these changes, OpenAI revealed plans to implement “important improvements” to its governance structure.
This includes the adoption of new corporate governance guidelines and the establishment of a whistleblower hotline.
The recent developments mark the conclusion of a period of significant upheaval for OpenAI, during which Altman was briefly removed as CEO in November.
The board had cited a failure to be “consistently candid in his communications” as the reason for his removal.
Altman was reinstated as CEO two weeks later but did not regain his seat on the board at that time.
