Nearly 500 OpenAI Employees Threaten To Quit Unless Sam Altman Comes Back

After firing its CEO Sam Altman, who has now been hired by Microsoft to lead a new AI research unit, OpenAI seems to be literally imploding this morning. Over 500 employees have signed a letter asking for the entire board to resign after reinstating Altman as CEO of OpenAI, according to a report from Wired that has been separately confirmed by veteran journalist Kara Swisher.

In the letter, the OpenAI employees said that they may choose to resign and join Altman’s new AI division at Microsoft. “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAl employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join,” the letter reads.

Breaking: 505 of 700 employees @OpenAI tell the board to resign. pic.twitter.com/M4D0RX3Q7a

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) November 20, 2023

OpenAI currently has over 700 employees today, so the company would lose most of its talents if the roughly 500 employees who signed the letter decide to put their words into action.

Earlier today, many OpenAI employees, including temporary CEO Mira Murati (who has now been replaced by former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear) have been posting the same support message on X: “OpenAI is nothing without its people”.

OpenAI is nothing without its people

— Mira Murati (@miramurati) November 20, 2023

Murati is one of the close to 500 OpenAI employees who signed the letter asking for the reinstatement of Altman, along with CTO Ilya Sutskeever who posted an apologetic message on X today. “I deeply regret my participation in the board’s actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we’ve built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company,” the exec said.

Earlier today, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that he was looking forward to “getting to know Emmett Shear and OpenAI’s new leadership team and working with them.” Well, a couple of hours later, it very much looks like the OpenAI we knew is about to become an empty shell. Nadella also assured that Altman’s new AI research team at Microsoft would have all the resources it needs to succeed while enjoying some independence.

A lot of happened since Friday and the day is far from over… who knows what could happen in the next couple of hours?