Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, has been reinstated following his unexpected dismissal, which sparked a wave of reactions across the tech industry. Altman's dismissal was met with criticism from major investors, including Microsoft Corp., Thrive Capital, and Tiger Global Management, who urged the company to reinstate him. The investors also pushed for a change in the current board, leading to Altman's reinstatement.
The dismissal and subsequent reinstatement of Altman were not without controversy. OpenAI's chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, who was part of the board that fired Altman, later expressed regret for his actions. Elon Musk, co-founder of OpenAI, expressed curiosity about what 'scared' Sutskever, leading to Altman's dismissal. The reasons for Altman's initial dismissal and reinstatement remain unclear.
In the midst of this, Bengaluru's home-grown auto rickshaw aggregator, Namma Yatri, capitalized on the situation with a humorous marketing spin. The app promised 'Pickup faster than the speed of Sam Altman's return', which was appreciated by internet users, calling it a 'Peak Bengaluru' moment. Namma Yatri, launched last year as a competition to cab aggregators Ola and Uber, has generated earnings of ₹189 crore for its drivers.
The OpenAI saga has also drawn criticism from Musk, who criticized OpenAI for becoming a 'closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft'. OpenAI researchers also warned the board of a new AI, Q*, that could potentially threaten humanity, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.
The reinstatement of Altman is a significant development in the tech industry, and its implications are yet to be fully understood. As the situation continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder of the power dynamics and potential conflicts of interest that can arise in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.