Microsoft hires Sam Altman (formerly of OpenAI) and puts him at the helm of AI

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Other than returning to OpenAI, Sam Altman will lead a new Microsoft Artificial Intelligence research laboratory. The news comes from Satya Nadella himself, who announced the new role in a tweet, just as OpenAI announced that the new CEO will be Emmet Shear: «We remain committed to our partnership with OpenAI and have confidence in our product roadmap, in our ability to continue to innovate with everything we announced at the “Microsoft Ignite” conference, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to meeting and working with Emmett Shear and OAI’s new leadership team. And we are extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, along with colleagues, will join Microsoft to lead a new advanced artificial intelligence research team. We look forward to acting quickly to provide them with the resources necessary for their success,” wrote the Microsoft CEO.

The CEO sacked on Friday evening by OpenAI, in a move that shocked the technological world, therefore immediately finds a new job. And he is going to lead a new team within Microsoft, a company that in recent months has been very close to OpenAI. In fact, during Altman’s management, relations between the San Francisco company and Microsoft became increasingly closer, so much so that the Readmond giant invested around 14 billion dollars in the former start-up. And just after the OpenAI board decided to torpedo Altman, Nadella showed all his concern, working personally to stem the rift.

A fracture that is evidently incurable. Hence the choice to bring Altman to Microsoft. A choice that clearly opens up many new question marks. Did OpenAI’s board of directors fire Altman because he was perhaps steering the company into the hands of Microsoft? Now it’s a hotly debated question in Silicon Valley. Also because Altman brings all his knowledge and plans to Microsoft, which until three days ago were shared with OpenAI. This choice could put a strain on the estate of the former San Francisco non-profit, which was recently valued at over $80 billion.

Together with Altman, Greg Brockman, former president of OpenAI, who was ousted from the board on the same day as the former CEO’s ouster, also ends up at Microsoft.

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