Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
The AI business has been in a tizzy since OpenAI made the shocking move to give CEO Sam Altman the boot last week. Things got even more complicated when it was revealed that Altman had been hired by Microsoft to lead a new AI research team, and that the two-trillion dollar corporation has been courting employees from OpenAI to reunite with Altman on the new team. In its latest attempt to lure employees away from OpenAI, Microsoft has offered to match their salaries.
Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott tweeted this morning about the ongoing situation at OpenAI and Microsoft. “To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft’s new AI Research Lab,” he wrote. “Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.”
This adds even more pressure to OpenAI’s board of directors, who were ordered to resign in a letter signed by 505 of OpenAI’s 700 employees. The signees also threatened to leave the company and join Sam Altman at Microsoft should their request not be honored. The guaranteed salary match will likely further incentivise workers to make the move from OpenAI to Microsoft.
With increased pressure on OpenAI’s board to resign and reinstate Sam Altman as CEO, this continues to be one of the year’s most fascinating tech stories. With new developments seemingly coming out every day, you can expect to read the latest updates here on Shacknews.