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Sam Altman, the renowned figure in the AI community, has made a comeback to OpenAI after a series of tumultuous events following his ouster from the company he co-founded. In his return, Altman unveiled a new board of directors, featuring prominent figures such as Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Adam D'Angelo, along with former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer), a powerful language model-based chatbot, offers both free and commercial versions. ChatGPT Plus, the subscription-based commercial version, operates on the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) versions 3.5 and 4.0 for the free and paid versions, respectively.

Notably, ChatGPT achieved remarkable success, garnering one million users within its first week of release on November 30, 2022, earning OpenAI the title of the fastest-growing startup globally. Fast forward to November 2023, ChatGPT boasts over 180.5 million regular users, with 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies incorporating it into their daily corporate operations.

By January 2023, ChatGPT secured a valuation of an astounding $29 billion, becoming the fastest-growing consumer software application in history. With its growing user base, the prediction stands that ChatGPT will generate a revenue of $200 million by the end of 2023.

Sam Altman, OpenAI's co-founder and CEO, played a pivotal role in the company's success until his unexpected ouster on November 17, 2023. The decision, orchestrated by board members Adam D’Angelo, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley, and Ilya Sutskever, triggered a series of events and raised questions about their motives and competence in managing the world's most high-profile AI startup.

OpenAI's unique structure, outlined in a concise 500-word charter, aimed to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. However, as investors and influential figures became involved, complications arose.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO became furious hearing the news related to the ouster of OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman. Microsoft has invested 19 billion dollars in OpenAI since 2019. ChatGPT service was integrated into Microsoft’s products such as Microsoft’s Bing search engine, sales and marketing software, GitHub coding tools, Microsoft 365 productivity bundle, and Azure cloud. After being fired by OpenAI, Sam Altman was poached by Microsoft to lead its new in-house advanced artificial intelligence research team. Greg Brockman, another co-founder of OpenAI, was also called to lead the team. 

In response to Altman's ouster, over 650 of OpenAI’s approximately 770 employees threatened to resign unless the board directors stepped down and reinstated Altman. After a series of developments, Altman emerged victorious, and on November 21, OpenAI announced an agreement in principle for his return as CEO.

Altman, in his initial statements after returning, expressed unwavering commitment to OpenAI's mission. However, concerns linger among some about the fair use of AI and its governance under Altman's leadership. The recent reshuffling of leadership and the introduction of a new board of directors mark a critical juncture for OpenAI and its future endeavors.

As OpenAI navigates this pivotal chapter with Sam Altman back at the helm and a new board of directors in place, the company stands at the intersection of technological innovation and ethical responsibility. The resurgence of ChatGPT, coupled with Altman's return and the reshaping of leadership, signals a renewed commitment to advancing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. However, as the company moves forward, the doubts and concerns surrounding AI governance persist, emphasizing the ongoing need for transparent and ethical practices in the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence. 

Aong Cha Ching Marma is a Intern at CGS