Sam Altman announced his move to Microsoft after being fired from OpenAI, but this decision is not a done deal. The Verge quoted multiple people familiar with the matter as saying that he and co-founder Greg Brockman are still willing to return to OpenAI if the remaining board members who fired Altman step down.
At the same time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also made it clear in interviews with CNBC and Bloomberg TV that Altman may return to OpenAI in some capacity.
When asked whether Altman and 700 OpenAI employees would join Microsoft, he replied, "It depends on the choice of the OpenAI board of directors, management and employees." And said whether they go or stay, he is open to both options. "Obviously, if Sam and Greg are not going to stay at OpenAI, we want them to have a good ending."
Regarding the straightforward question "Who will be the CEO of OpenAI tomorrow?", Nadella still gave the same answer: "I will leave this question to OpenAI and its board of directors."
In addition, when asked whether Microsoft needs a seat on the OpenAI board of directors, he said that some reforms must be made in OpenAI's governance. Microsoft will have a dialogue with its board of directors on this and gradually advance solutions as the situation develops. this problem.
Currently, OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who is considered the organizer of this "coup", has changed his mind and signed a joint letter demanding Altman's return. Therefore, only two of OpenAI's three remaining board members would need to reverse course to bring Altman back.