Microsoft Hires Sam Altman & Greg Brockman To Boost AI Initiatives

In a major coup for its AI ambitions, Microsoft has hired Sam Altman, who co-founded OpenAI but was abruptly fired from the CEO role last week along with OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman. Altman and Brockman will be leading a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft, CEO Satya Nadella confirmed in a tweet.

The news comes after a chaotic weekend of negotiations between Altman and the OpenAI board about potentially reinstating him as CEO. However, those talks broke down, allowing Microsoft to swoop in with job offers.

Altman's departure from OpenAI is shrouded in mystery, with the board citing a loss of confidence but providing no specific reasons for firing him. His dismissal on Friday triggered emergency discussions over the weekend about reinstating him, but OpenAI ultimately decided to move in a new direction.

In Altman's place, OpenAI has now appointed Emmett Shear, the co-founder of video game streaming platform Twitch, as interim CEO. Shear takes over the leadership reins from Mira Murati, who had been filling in on a temporary basis.

By hiring away Altman and Brockman, Microsoft is scoring a major talent acquisition that should boost its internal artificial intelligence work.