November 20, 2023: Microsoft has made a significant move by hiring Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, and Greg Brockman, OpenAI co-founder. This decision comes after OpenAI’s board lost confidence in Altman’s leadership, which we shared with you yesterday.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, announced that Altman and Brockman, along with other key OpenAI talents, will lead a new advanced AI research team.
Nadella is enthusiastic about this new development, promising resources for the team’s success.
He highlighted Microsoft’s experience integrating independent identities like GitHub, Mojang Studios, and LinkedIn, indicating a similar path for Altman’s team.
This team will include OpenAI’s director of research, Jakub Pachocki, research scientist Szymon Sidor, and head of preparedness, Aleksander Madry, suggesting a significant talent shift from OpenAI to Microsoft.
After failing to negotiate a return to OpenAI, Altman accepted the role at Microsoft.
OpenAI, meanwhile, appointed Emmett Shear, former Twitch CEO, as its interim CEO, succeeding Mira Murati, who served briefly after Altman’s departure. These changes follow Altman’s recent venture into developing custom AI chips, a project that gained interest from Microsoft and others.
Microsoft’s commitment to AI is underscored by its development of custom AI and Arm-based chips, aimed at powering Azure data centers.
These advancements, including the Maia AI chip, are part of Microsoft’s strategy to reduce reliance on Nvidia and drive innovation in AI technology.
