OpenAI chief operating officer Brad Lightcap addressed the firing of CEO Sam Altman in a brief message to employees on Saturday.
Lightcap wrote in the memo, obtained by CNBC, that everyone was taken by surprise and that he's had many conversations with the board to try to understand their decision.
"We can say definitively that the board's decision was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices," he wrote.
He wrote the discussions and options regarding the path forward are ongoing and the company remains strong.
Our position as a company remains extremely strong, and Microsoft remains fully committed to our partnership.
Persons:
Brad Lightcap, Sam Altman, Lightcap, he's, Altman, Sam, Mira
Organizations:
CNBC, Microsoft