OpenAI CTO Mira Murati had concerns about Sam Altman before firing: NYT

• Two OpenAI executives raised concerns about Sam Altman before he was fired in November, the NYT reported.
• The media said CTO Mira Murati played a key role after raising concerns with the board.
• Mr. Altman returned as CEO a few days later, leaving many unanswered questions about what happened.

It’s still unclear what exactly happened before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was suddenly forced out of the company in November, but a new report reveals more details.

When his departure was announced, OpenAI’s board of directors said it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue to lead OpenAI” and said he had “not consistently communicated openly.” Ta. Still, vague explanations only created more questions, which lingered even after his return.

The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati raised concerns about Altman’s leadership style with the board in October, and even asked Altman himself. reported that they expressed their concerns in the form of a memo.

Officials told the Times that her actions contributed to the board’s dismissal of Altman.

Murati briefly served as interim CEO after Altman’s departure.

The Times reported that she is not the only executive dissatisfied with Mr. Altman. Co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Satskeva also raised the issue with some board members in October.

Some board members feared Altman, Sutskever and Murati would leave OpenAI if action was not taken, the paper said.

Law firm WilmerHale is expected to release a report soon based on its investigation into what happened between Altman’s departure and return.

OpenAI, Murati, and Sutskever did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

An OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to the Times that Murati and other executives asked Altman to return as CEO shortly after his departure.

“His strong support from his team confirms that he is an effective CEO who embraces different perspectives, is willing to solve complex challenges, and shows care for his team,” the spokesperson said. Hannah Wong told the magazine.

Murati did not respond to the Times, but Sutskeva’s lawyer said it was “completely false” that Murati raised his concerns with the board.