Sam Altman sacked as ChatGPT CEO after OpenAI board ‘loses confidence in his ability’

OpenAI, the parent creator of ChatGPT, announced on Friday that it had sacked Sam Altman as the CEO and co-founder of the company as the “board lost confidence in his ability to lead”.

In a statement, OpenAI said that Altman’s “departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities”.

The statement said that its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Mira Murati will take over as the interim CEO, and OpenAI will conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO.

Confirming the news, Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. Most of all I loved working with such talented people. Will have more to say about what’s next later.”

Backed by substantial funding from Microsoft, OpenAI initiated the generative AI trend last November with the release of its ChatGPT chatbot, becoming one of the world’s rapidly expanding software applications.

Altman, 38, who previously led Y Combinator, is a serial entrepreneur and investor. He served as the public face of OpenAI, showcasing the generative AI technology capable of generating human-like responses to queries, during his global tour this year.

In its statement, OpenAI said the board was “grateful for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI”. “At the same time, we believe new leadership is necessary as we move forward,” it added.