Sam Altman will not return as CEO of OpenAI, Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear to take his job: Report

In a huge twist in the tale, Sam Altman will not return as CEO of OpenAI despite efforts from the company's executives to bring him back, according to The Information.

Emmett Shear new OpenAI CEO

It further suggests, Emmett Shear, co-founder of video streaming site Twitch, will take over as interim CEO, the report said, citing co-founder and board director Ilya Sutskever.

Altman's dramatic ouster

In a dramatic turn of events Altman, who has been the face of generative AI and spearheaded efforts to transform OpenAI from a nonprofit into a commercially viable business was ousted by the company for not being ‘candid in his conversations’. He reportedly clashed with board members who were concerned he was moving too quickly, without sufficient concern to the safety implications of a technology that, left unchecked, could create content capable of harming the public.

In a statement over the weekend, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap said that safety was not the primary reason the board fired Altman, and credited a “breakdown in communications.”

This was followed by reports that OpenAI’s interim Chief Executive Officer Mira Murati is bringing back ousted predecessor Sam Altman and former President Greg Brockman in a capacity that has yet to be finalized.

The news report comes hours after Altman posed with a picture of guest card at the OpenAI offices, claiming ‘first and last time i ever wear one of these’

Reports of Sam Altman not returning as CEO comes amid speculations that Microsoft Corp., with more than $10 billion stake in the company, is working with investors including Thrive Capital and Tiger Global Management to bring back Altman.

As part of the effort to reinstate the CEO, investors are also pressing for the replacement of the current board, the people said. The directors have considered stepping down, though they’re currently balking at such a move, the people said. The situation is fluid and final plans have not been set. If the board steps down, investors are reviewing a list of possible new directors. One contender is Bret Taylor, the former co-CEO of Salesforce Inc.