Microsoft brings former OpenAI leaders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman on board for new AI research team

Microsoft welcomes OpenAI titans for next-gen AI research

Nov 20, 2023, 5:38 AM EST

2 mins read

Microsoft has made a strategic move aimed at spearheading a groundbreaking AI research initiative. The tech giant is set to welcome former OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman to lead the project. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed his excitement about the collaboration through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Altman, who had been at the helm of OpenAI since 2019, will be taking the lead in this new venture. Alongside him, Brockman, former OpenAI President and Board Chair, and other colleagues will be instrumental in shaping the trajectory of Microsoft’s advanced AI research team.

Microsoft’s significant investment in OpenAI and their close technological partnership underscores the synergy between the two tech giants. Nadella affirmed the commitment to support the success of Altman, Brockman, and their team, promising swift allocation of necessary resources.

This move follows Altman’s recent departure from OpenAI, as announced by the board on Friday. The decision was made to replace Altman with interim CEO Mira Murati, citing communication concerns. However, despite this development, a group of OpenAI investors actively advocated for Altman’s return over the weekend.

Sunday night brought a series of noteworthy developments. OpenAI swiftly appointed former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear to lead the company’s AI endeavors. Simultaneously, Nadella revealed that Altman and Brockman, who had resigned from OpenAI, would be integrated into Microsoft’s team.

Nadella anticipated getting acquainted with Shear and OpenAI’s new leadership team. Microsoft’s commitment to its partnership with OpenAI remains strong, with confidence in its product roadmap and continued innovation, as highlighted in announcements at Microsoft Ignite.

OpenAI gained widespread recognition in 2022 with the launch of its ChatGPT chatbot. ChatGPT enables users to engage in dynamic conversations by inputting simple text queries, showcasing OpenAI’s prowess in natural language processing.

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