Greg Brockman resigns from OpenAI following the sudden dismissal of Sam Altman.

Greg Brockman, co-founder and president of OpenAI, has announced his resignation from the company. This surprising move comes just hours after OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman was unexpectedly dismissed, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the AI firm.

Brockman, who started OpenAI with Altman eight years ago in his apartment, expressed pride in the company's achievements despite numerous challenges. “We’ve been through tough and great times together, accomplishing so much despite all the reasons it should have been impossible,” Brockman stated in his farewell message to the OpenAI team. “But based on today’s news, I quit. Genuinely wishing you all nothing but the best. I continue to believe in the mission of creating safe AGI that benefits all of humanity.”

Earlier, OpenAI had indicated that although Brockman was stepping down as chairman, he would continue to work at the firm. However, his departure, closely tied to Altman’s ouster, has sent ripples through the tech industry. Altman was a prominent figure at OpenAI, leading the forefront of the AI revolution with the development of large language models like ChatGPT, and forming a strategic partnership with Microsoft.

The unexpected exits of both Altman and Brockman have left many questions unanswered, especially regarding the reasons behind Altman’s removal. OpenAI’s board stated that after a detailed review, they found Altman had not been fully transparent in his communications, impacting the board’s ability to fulfill its duties.

This development comes on the heels of OpenAI’s first developer conference, where Altman boasted of ChatGPT reaching 100 million users. At the event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed strong support for OpenAI, hinting at continued investment and collaboration.

Nadella reaffirmed this commitment in a statement: “We have a long-term agreement with OpenAI with full access to everything we need to deliver on our innovation agenda and an exciting product roadmap; and remain committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team. Together, we will continue to deliver the meaningful benefits of this technology to the world.”

As the tech community grapples with these sudden changes at OpenAI, the future direction of the company, particularly its relationship with Microsoft and its role in the AI landscape, remains a topic of keen interest and speculation.