OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever has announced his departure from the Microsoft-backed startup. In a post on Tuesday, Sutskever revealed that he is working on a new project that is personally meaningful to him. This news comes after OpenAI faced a leadership crisis in November involving co-founder and CEO Sam Altman. The issue arose when it was revealed that Altman had not been consistently candid with the board about the direction of AI development.
The conflict within OpenAI intensified as Sutskever focused on ensuring that AI would not harm humans, while others, including Altman, were eager to push ahead with delivering new technology. Almost all of OpenAI’s employees signed an open letter threatening to leave in response to the board’s actions, leading to a shakeup in leadership. Altman ultimately returned to the company, while board members, including Sutskever, were removed. Research director Jakub Pachocki has been appointed as the new chief scientist.
Following these events, OpenAI announced new board members, including former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. Microsoft also secured a nonvoting board observer position. In March, an internal investigation by U.S. law firm WilmerHale into the events leading up to Altman’s ouster was concluded. Altman rejoined the board, and three new members were added, each with a wealth of experience in their respective fields.
The announcement of Sutskever’s departure coincided with OpenAI’s launch of a new AI model and desktop version of ChatGPT, featuring an updated user interface. GPT-4, the latest model, promises faster performance with enhanced capabilities in text, video, and audio. The company aims to eventually enable users to engage in video chats with ChatGPT, marking a significant step forward in user experience and accessibility.
In 2015, Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk persuaded Sutskever to join OpenAI as the Chief Scientist, despite his initial reluctance to leave Google. This pivotal moment in the company’s history highlights the collaborative efforts of its founders to attract top talent and advance the field of AI. As OpenAI continues to evolve and expand its offerings, the departure of Sutskever represents a new chapter in the company’s journey, with a renewed focus on innovation and collaboration at its core.
