By Theo Burman
Live News Reporter
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Sam Altman is at the forefront of artificial intelligence development, which has made him a sought-after expert for some of the largest tech companies in the world.
Chief amongst those is industry giant Microsoft, which has a unique relationship with Altman. When Altman was removed as CEO of OpenAI last year, it was Microsoft who hired him first—though this was reversed less than a week later when he returned to OpenAI.
Has Sam Altman Worked for Microsoft?
On November 17, 2023, OpenAI announced that Altman would no longer serve as its CEO, sparking immediate speculation about the future of both Altman and the company. OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, was named interim CEO amidst rumors of a potential return for Altman.
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However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman, along with OpenAI President Greg Brockman, would lead a new AI team at Microsoft. In response to the announcement, more than 700 OpenAI employees signed a letter threatening to quit and join the new Microsoft venture, pressuring the board to agree to Altman's return a few days later.
After Altman's reinstatement, Microsoft executive Dee Templeton was added to the OpenAI board in an observational role. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that they would be relinquishing the position, amid antitrust investigations into both Microsoft and OpenAI from U.S. and European authorities.
How much has Microsoft invested in OpenAI?
Microsoft has been a major investor in OpenAI, contributing $13 billion to the company over the past five years. In return, the partnership has given Microsoft unique access to AI assistant tools based on ChatGPT, OpenAI's flagship product. OpenAI's technology has been integrated into several Microsoft services, such as the Microsoft 365 suite.
Speaking with podcaster Lex Freidman in March 2023, Altman said that Microsoft was "super flexible" in its work with OpenAI, saying: "It's not all perfect or easy, but on the whole they have been an amazing partner to us. They have gone way beyond, way above and beyond the call of duty to do the things that we have needed to get this to work.
"Like many great partners and relationships, we have continued to ramp up our investment in each other."
Despite reducing its presence on OpenAI's board, Microsoft maintains close links with the company, saying: "This position provided insights into the board's activities without compromising its independence. We have witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board and are confident in the company's direction."
While OpenAI partners with several other companies to increase ChatGPT's use across different industries, Microsoft remains OpenAI's exclusive cloud provider.
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