Sam Altman, fired by OpenAI, to join Microsoft, announces Satya Nadella

Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella has informed.

Also Read: ‘First and the last time…’: 'Sacked' Sam Altman shows OpenAI 'guest ID card' amid talks of his return

“We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners,” Nadella wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Also Read: Why does Microsoft's Satya Nadella want Sam Altman to return as OpenAI CEO?

"We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them. And we’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success," he added.

Also Read: Who is Emmett Shear? Former Twitch Chief and new interim CEO of OpenAI

OpenAI’s board hired former Twitch chief Emmett Shear as chief executive officer, defying calls from investors to reinstate the ousted Sam Altman, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Earlier in 2023, Shear stepped down as CEO of Amazon.com Inc.’s game-streaming site Twitch. As per one of the Bloomberg sources, he impressed directors because of his past recognition of the existential threats that AI presented. 

Also Read: OpenAI Saga: Investors pressuring board to reinstate CEO Sam Altman

OpenaI, the creator of ChatGPT, is Microsoft’s biggest investment in AI. The $13-billion bet was not only on the company but on Altman as well. Microsoft, which owns almost half of the startup, did fight to reinstate Altman but could not sway the board. The company’s shares fell on November 17 after Altman had been fired.

Nadella, as per reports, earlier assured Altman of support in his future endeavours. Sources familiar with the situation said that Nadella had been caught off guard by the board’s decision.