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☆ Global powers have a plan to use $250 billion in frozen Russian funds to help rebuild Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussia's frozen assets could finally have a role in funding Ukraine, used as collateral in a new debt scheme under Western consideration, sources told the Financial Times. "Of course, the Russian Federation will challenge such decisions, we will protect our interests and our assets illegally seized," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Meanwhile, US brinkmanship is keeping Washington sidelined, with further Ukraine funding unlikely ahead of the electionSome, such as former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, have called to transfer Russia's reserves directly to Ukraine. The German government has instead supported seizing the returns generated by the assets, but leave the underlying reserves untouched.

Persons: —, Dmitry Peskov, it's, Larry Summers Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Business, Russian Federation, Western, European Union, EU Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Russian, Belgian, Washington

☆ House GOP threatens Harvard with subpoena, considers expanding antisemitism investigation to Cornell and Columbia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A spokesperson for the committee provided CNN a list of the 24 documents Harvard turned over to Congress, noting that all of them were already available publicly. Asked if she has considered adding other schools including Cornell University and Columbia University to the investigation, Foxx said yes. We are quite well aware of Cornell and Columbia,” Foxx said, adding that Columbia President Minouche Shafik was invited to testify but was unable to attend. White-shoe law firm WilmerHale is aiding UPenn in the House investigation, a university spokesperson told CNN. But that had nothing to do with our investigation,” Foxx said.

Persons: Virginia Foxx, Harvard, ” Foxx, Foxx, Jason Newton, “, ” Newton, ” Cornell, Minouche Shafik, WilmerHale, UPenn, Liz Magill, Anna Rose Layden, Derek Penslar, Larry Summers, ”, “ We’re, Penslar “, Gay, Claudine Gay Organizations: New, New York CNN — Rep, House Education, Workforce Committee, Harvard University, CNN, Harvard, Columbia, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Columbia University, Cornell, Department of Education, House, Rep, U.S, Capitol, American Academy for Jewish Research, National, Gay Locations: New York, Washington , DC, Israel, Penslar

☆ Opinion: Elon Musk, Harvard and the art of ‘taking action’ while doing nothing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Elon Musk, who spends much of his time on futuristic endeavors, took a step into history on Monday. Like in other entities where an upsurge in antisemitic activity started making headlines, Musk was taking performative action at Auschwitz. It was an effort to appear to be taking action while doing nothing. After his visit to the death camp, Musk appeared at a conference on antisemitism in nearby Krakow, Poland. President Claudine Gay was asked in Congress if calls for genocide against Jews violate Harvard rules against bullying and harassment.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, CNN — Elon Musk, Musk, “ Hitler, ”, ” Musk, dumbest, George Soros “, Ted Deutch, Elders of Zion, X, “, Tucker Carlson, Claudine Gay, Israel “, Israel, he’s “, Alan Garber, Garber, Derek Penslar, Penslar, Larry Summers Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, Center, Twitter, Defamation, American Jewish Committee, Elders of, Media Matters, Apple, Disney, IBM, Media, Harvard University, Harvard, Jewish, Harvard’s, Jewish Studies Locations: Auschwitz, Israel, Gaza, United States, Krakow, Poland

☆ Israeli hostage posters at Harvard vandalized with antisemitic messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Israeli hostage posters that were hung up at Harvard University had been vandalized with antisemitic messages just as students returned from winter break. Footage shared with CNN by Harvard student Alexander Kestenbaum shows a handful of hostage posters defaced with messages such as “Israel did 9/11.” A poster of a four-year-old Israeli hostage was defaced, while “LIES FAKE” was scrawled over another hostage poster. Photos and videos geolocated by CNN indicate the vandalized posters were hung just outside Holworthy Hall, a first-year student dorm located on the northern edge of Harvard Yard. The Harvard spokesperson said the vandalized posters near the Thayer Gate have been removed and the Harvard University Police Department is investigating the incident. “Instead, they were confronted with vandalism, the defacement of hostage posters, and vile antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Persons: ”, Alexander Kestenbaum, Israel, “, It’s, Kestenbaum, Claudine Gay’s, Jonathan Greenblatt, ” Greenblatt, Getzel Davis, ” Davis, Alan Garber, ” Garber, Larry Summers, Derek Penslar, Summers, Penslar, nauseous, Celina Tebor, Michelle Watson, Nic, Anderson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Harvard, CNN, Harvard Yard, Harvard University Police Department, Cambridge, Visitors, Harvard’s, Equity, Diversity, Defamation, Harvard Hillel, American Academy for Jewish Research, Columbia University, NYPD, Columbia Locations: New York, Harvard’s, Holworthy, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Israel

☆ Larry Summers blasts Harvard over antisemitism: ‘I have lost confidence’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Famed economist Larry Summers slammed Harvard’s top leaders on Sunday over concerns about how the Ivy League school is fighting antisemitism. Summers, a former president of Harvard, strongly criticized the selection of Harvard professor Derek Penslar as the co-chair of a newly-formed presidential task force on antisemitism. “I have lost confidence in the determination and ability of the Harvard Corporation and Harvard leadership to maintain Harvard as a place where Jews and Israelis can flourish,” Summers said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The task forces will be charged with examining bias, determining root causes and compiling recommendations to combat hate. “As things currently stand, I am unable to reassure Harvard community members, those we are recruiting or prospective students that Harvard is making progress in countering anti-Semitism,” Summers said.

Persons: Larry Summers, Harvard’s, Summers, Derek Penslar, “, ” Summers, Claudine Gay, Clinton, Obama, Penslar, ”, ” Penslar, Israel, Israel’s, Bill Ackman, “ Harvard, Alison Frank Johnson, Steven Levitsky, stnd, ” Alan Garber, ” Garber, Penny Pritzker Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ivy League, Harvard, Harvard Corporation, Twitter, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, CNN, American Academy for Jewish Research, North America ”, The Corporation Locations: New York, Israel, Gaza, North America

☆ Harvard president's resignation draws strong reactions from her critics and supporters
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-02 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Claudine Gay is out as the president of Harvard. Gay announced Tuesday in a letter that she was stepping down, and reactions have poured in on social media from both her supporters and critics. AdvertisementElon Musk voiced his agreement with a social media user's post that said Gay had been "caught plagiarizing." I admire Claudine Gay for putting Harvard's interests first at what I know must be an agonizingly difficult moment. AdvertisementNot everyone celebrated Gay's resignation.

Persons: Claudine Gay, Gay, —, Larry Summers, Gay's, Elon Musk, Emil Michael, Uber's, Alan Garber, — Lawrence H, Summers, Bill Ackman, Ackman, hasn't, Sally Kornbluth, Elizabeth Magill, it’s, 3yUDw6tciF — Emil Michael, @emilmichael, Christopher Rufo, Rufo, Elon, Jason Calacanis, Timnit Gebru, Couldn't, Gebru, Nikole Hannah Jones, Janai Nelson, Liz Magill's, Gary Marcus, Uber, Marcus Organizations: Harvard, Service, Treasury, Twitter, Billionaire, Gay, Former University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Corporation, Conservative, Google, NAACP Legal Defense, Educational Fund

☆ Harvard alumni are slashing donations and taking the college out of their wills over its response to the Israel-Hamas war: Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Harvard alumni are slashing their donations amid reports of on-campus semitism, per Bloomberg. One alumni told Bloomberg that she won't encourage her classmates to donate this year. Furious Harvard alumni and volunteers are paring down their donations over the university's response to the Israel-Hamas war, per Bloomberg. Longtime volunteer Tally Zingher, 46, told Bloomberg she only plans to donate $1 for her coming college reunion. "There are plenty of better places that I feel my classmates can use their philanthropy and influence," she told Bloomberg.

Persons: —, Bill Ackman isn't, Tally Zingher, Zingher, Jason Newton, Israel, Bill Ackman, Larry Summers, Claudine Gay's, Summers, Gay Organizations: Harvard, Bloomberg, Service, Furious Harvard, University, Business Insider Locations: Israel, Hamas, Harvard's

☆ Sam Altman's biggest lesson for founders: control freaks win
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A takeaway for other founders: control matters. A founder's narrative control can wane too if board members disagree with a founder's vision. AdvertisementAltman did not, in practice, start with much control at OpenAI, despite being its CEO and, prior to the blowup, a board member. "A lot of VCs still act as if founders retaining board control after a series A is unheard-of. OpenAI's version of founder control doesn't necessarily look like others: its CEO apparently doesn't hold the majority of stock.

Persons: Sam Altman, Paul Graham, —, Altman, Altman's, Helen Toner, Toner, Y, Graham's, Graham, aren't, Mark Zuckerberg, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers Organizations: Service, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

☆ OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap talks about ChatGPT launch, Dev Day and how Sam Altman thinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hayden Field | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +23 min

And I think that's just a testament to the world being really big and messy, and that these systems are still evolving, they're still really in their infancy. That may be a thing that's useful in your work, or maybe a thing that's useful in your life, or it may just be a fun thing – it may just be that you create a funny GPT and it's a cool thing to have. High-level, we always knew that we wanted to have a structure that, at its core, retained the original OpenAI – the OpenAI nonprofit. So that's the first thing to understand, I think, about OpenAI: It's not a normal company in that sense. We have shared that we have an initial board now, and expect to add more board membersWhat's the general mood like at the company right now?

Persons: OpenAI, Sam, Altman, Brad Lightcap, Lightcap, ChatGPT, OpenAI's, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Dev Day, DALL, we'd, doesn't, haven't, they've, – there's, There's, …, We're, we've, Dev, It's, You've, Sam Altman, reappointment Organizations: CNBC, Fortune, Microsoft, ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI, OpenAI's Locations: San Francisco

☆ Sam Altman says he harbors 'zero ill will' towards former OpenAI board member Ilya Sutskever
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI's Sam Altman says he has "zero ill will" towards cofounder Ilya Sutskever. Sutskever, a former OpenAI board member, had previously voted to fire Altman as CEO. AdvertisementOpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he has no hard feelings towards former board member Ilya Sutskever. Besides reinstating Altman, OpenAI welcomed a new initial board comprising Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. Taylor, who is OpenAI's new board chair, said on Wednesday that OpenAI backer Microsoft would be given a non-voting board observer seat.

Persons: OpenAI's Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Altman, Sutskever, —, Sam Altman, Ilya, Sutskever didn't, Sam, Alex Weingarten, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Taylor Organizations: Service, New York Times, The Times, Microsoft, Business Insider Locations: OpenAI

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 29 (Reuters) - Microsoft will take a non-voting, observer position on OpenAI's board, CEO Sam Altman said in his first official missive after taking back the reins of the company on Wednesday. The observer position means Microsoft's representative can attend OpenAI's board meetings and access confidential information, but it does not have voting rights on matters including electing or choosing directors. The new OpenAI board is on an active search for six new members with expertise in fields from technology to safety and policy. OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever will no longer be part of the board, Altman said. Apart from Altman, Brockman, Sutskever, D'Angelo, OpenAI's previous board consisted of entrepreneur Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sam Altman, Satya Nadella, Altman, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Mira Murati, Greg Brockman, Greg, Ilya Sutskever, Sutskever, Ilya, Brockman, D'Angelo, OpenAI's, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Akanksha, Krystal Hu, Sayantani Ghosh, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Georgetown's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru, New York, San Francisco

☆ Sam Altman really, really doesn't want to talk about why he was fired
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's still unclear why the former OpenAI board fired Sam Altman. The new board is conducting an independent review into the matter, and Altman is again CEO. Everyone is still wondering why exactly the board pushed him out, but Altman isn't ready to talk about it yet. AdvertisementInstead, Altman said he's "looking forward to learning more" from an independent review being conducted by the new board of OpenAI. AdvertisementThe chaotic ordeal started with an announcement of Sam Altman being out as CEO and CTO Mira Murati assuming the role in an interim capacity.

Persons: It's, Sam Altman, Altman, —, OpenAI's, Mira Murati, Sam, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo Organizations: Service, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

OpenAI's tender offer, which would allow employees to sell shares in the start-up to outside investors, remains on track despite the leadership tumult and board shuffle, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The round and previously reported valuation were jeopardized by Sam Altman's temporary ouster earlier in November, but his return cleared the way for the tender offer to proceed. The extension of the tender offer comes after a rollercoaster couple of weeks for the company. OpenAI's other major backers include Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital and, following the completion of the tender offer, Thrive Capital. Founders Fund will not participate in the tender offer either, a person familiar with the firm said.

Persons: Sam Altman, Josh Kushner's, Sam Altman's, Altman, Satya Nadella, Greg Brockman, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Nadella, — CNBC's Ari Levy, Jordan Novet, Elon Musk Organizations: Economic Cooperation, APEC, CNBC, Microsoft, Employees, Brockman's, Tiger Global, Fund, Sequoia Capital, Bloomberg Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, OpenAI

☆ A former OpenAI board member says Sam Altman's firing wasn't 'motivated by a desire to slow down OpenAI's work'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner has announced her resignation. Toner said that the board wasn't trying to slow down OpenAI's work by firing CEO Sam Altman. AdvertisementFormer OpenAI board member Helen Toner says the board wasn't trying to stifle the company's progress by removing CEO Sam Altman. Though there has been speculation, we were not motivated by a desire to slow down OpenAI’s work. AdvertisementAside from bringing back Altman, OpenAI welcomed a new initial board comprising Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

Persons: Helen Toner, Toner, Sam Altman, Altman, —, wasn't, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Taylor, Tasha McCauley, Ilya Sutskever . Organizations: Service, Georgetown University's Center for Security, Emerging Technology, Microsoft, Business Insider Locations: OpenAI's

☆ Ex-Google researcher says there's more chance she'd go back to Google than join OpenAI's board
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

OpenAI's new board has drawn criticism for only consisting of white men. One name that's been floated to join it is ex-Google researcher and AI ethics expert Timnit Gebru. AdvertisementThe new OpenAI board has drawn criticism for its lack of diversity, as it's currently comprised of three white men. One name that's been floated to join the board is prominent AI researcher Timnit Gebru. The new board will consider candidates to fill an expanded board of nine members, according to The Verge.

Persons: Timnit, Gebru, —, Timnit Gebru, Sam Altman's, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, Adam D'Angelo Organizations: Wired, Service, Google, Intelligence Research

Sam Altman, chief executive officer (CEO) of OpenAI and inventor of the AI software ChatGPT, joins the Technical University of Munich (TUM) for a panel discussion. Microsoft will have a non-voting board seat at OpenAI, the company announced on Wednesday. OpenAI's outlook has been intertwined with Microsoft since the software giant invested $13 billion into OpenAI and integrated its AI models into Office and other Microsoft programs. Previously, Microsoft did not have official representation on the board of directors that controlled the startup, allowing it to be surprised when Altman was first fired. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to identify the person who will join OpenAI board meetings but will not have a vote.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Mira Murati, Greg Brockman, Taylor Organizations: Technical University of Munich, Microsoft Locations: OpenAI

☆ OpenAI officially announces Sam Altman has returned as CEO and Microsoft gains a non-voting board seat
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Twelve days after OpenAI fired Sam Altman as CEO, the company formally announced that it has hired him back. OpenAI called the new board “initial,” signaling that it will add more directors in the future. Altman, in a company blog post, thanked the previous board that fired him for their contributions to the company. In a post on X, Altman acknowledged “real misunderstandings” between him and members of the board. “For my part, it is incredibly important to learn from this experience and apply those learnings as we move forward as a company,” Altman wrote on X.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D’Angelo, Altman, Greg Brockman, Satya Nadella, Mira Murati, Murati, Twitch, Emmett Shear, —, Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Sustkever, Ilya, ” Altman, OpenAI didn’t, “, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, Microsoft Locations: New York, OpenAI

☆ OpenAI doesn't plan to offer Microsoft or other outside investors a board seat: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

OpenAI doesn't plan to give board seats to investors like Microsoft, per Reuters and The Information. AdvertisementSome of OpenAI's biggest backers are unlikely to gain board seats even after the company's management shakeup, Reuters and The Information reported on Tuesday. OpenAI's new board is not planning to offer board seats to outside investors, such as Microsoft, Thrive Capital, and Khosla Ventures, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter. AdvertisementOpenAI cofounder and CEO Sam Altman was fired by his company's board on November 17, before staging a dramatic comeback five days later. OpenAI, Microsoft, Thrive Capital, and Khosla Ventures did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: OpenAI, Satya Nadella, —, shakeup, Thomas Hayes, Sam Altman, Altman's, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, Adam D'Angelo, Altman, Nadella, Kara Swisher, Swisher Organizations: Microsoft, Reuters, Service, OpenAI's, The, Khosla Ventures, Hill Capital, Business Locations: OpenAI

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 28 (Reuters) - ChatGPT owner OpenAI is not expected to offer Microsoft (MSFT.O) and other investors including Khosla Ventures and Thrive Capital seats on its new board, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. In a few tumultuous days last week, OpenAI ousted its CEO and founder Sam Altman without any detailed cause, setting off alarm bells among investors and employees. Microsoft, which has invested more than $10 billion in OpenAI, is one of the biggest backers of OpenAI that operates ChatGPT, its viral generative AI chatbot. In response to a question on the OpenAI board, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "We will wait until the board officially says something." OpenAI and Thrive did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Khosla declined to comment.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Sam Altman, Thomas Hayes, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, D'Angelo, Altman, Satya Nadella, Khosla, Zaheer Kachwala, Mary Varghese, Kenneth Li, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Microsoft, Khosla Ventures, Reuters, CNBC, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, Bengaluru

☆ 5 things that outlasted Emmett Shear's stint as OpenAI CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Emmett Shear was temporarily CEO of OpenAI in between Sam Altman's departure and return earlier this week. Business Insider offers you five things in tech that outlasted his tenure at OpenAI. AdvertisementEmmett Shear's stint as interim CEO of OpenAI might have set some sort of record. By Wednesday he was replaced by the original CEO, Sam Altman, following a series of dramatic twists and turns. AdvertisementHere are five things in the tech world that outlived his time as CEO of OpenAI:

Persons: Emmett Shear, Sam Altman's, —, Emmett Shear's, Shear, Sam Altman, haven't, Altman, OpenAI's, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo Organizations: Business, OpenAI, Service

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Back to square one?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 15, 2023 in New York City. This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. There's also a board reshuffle, with Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce and Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury secretary, joining. Separately, OpenAI researchers reportedly warned the board of an AI breakthrough ahead of Altman's ouster.

Persons: Treasurys, Australia's, Sam Altman, There's, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Nansen, hasn't, Changpeng Zhao, Morgan Stanley Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Nikkei, U.S, Treasury, Counterpoint Research Locations: New York City, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Middle East, Africa, China, India

☆ CNBC Daily Open: A Thanksgiving lull
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Last burst before a breakU.S. stocks ended Wednesday in positive territory before going on break today for Thanksgiving. Jack Ma pauses plansAlibaba founder Jack Ma is pausing his plans to sell Alibaba shares. Last week, regulator filings revealed Ma was looking to sell around $870 million worth of Alibaba shares.

Persons: Treasurys, Europe's, Jeremy Hunt, Altman's, Sam Altman, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley, Ilya Sutskever —, Altman, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D'Angelo, Nansen, hasn't, Changpeng Zhao, Jack Ma, Ma, Alibaba Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, Finance, U.S, Treasury Locations: New York City, U.S

☆ Larry Summers Is OpenAI’s Surprise Pick to Mend Fences
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Newley Purnell | Keach Hagey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI said late Tuesday that Sam Altman will return to the artificial-intelligence company as CEO, with a new initial board. WSJ reporter Tom Dotan analyzes the latest developments. Photo: John G Mabanglo/ShutterstockAs Sam Altman looks to steer OpenAI following the turmoil of his ouster and return as chief executive, he will be working with an initial board of directors consisting of two new faces—and one holdover from the previous board that fired him. The two joiners are seasoned tech veteran Bret Taylor , who was formerly co-CEO of Salesforce and chairman of Twitter, and Larry Summers , the onetime Treasury secretary and Harvard University president whose appointment surprised some observers. Remaining on the board is Adam D’Angelo , a former Facebook executive and the founder of the question-and-answer website Quora, a potential sign that Altman may not have everything his own way after his dramatic reinstatement late Tuesday.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman, Tom Dotan, John G Mabanglo, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D’Angelo, Altman Organizations: Twitter, Harvard University, Facebook

☆ OpenAI Says Sam Altman to Return as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Deepa Seetharaman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as CEO. Photo: john g mabanglo/ShutterstockOpenAI said Sam Altman will return as chief executive of the artificial-intelligence startup that he co-founded, days after he was fired by the board. The company will have a new initial board including Bret Taylor, Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo . The startup said Taylor will be chairman of the board in a post on X late Tuesday.

Persons: Sam Altman, Shutterstock OpenAI, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D’Angelo, Taylor

Overnight, OpenAI announced that it had an “agreement in principle” to reinstall Sam Altman as C.E.O., while the board members who pushed him out are departing. The news was greeted rapturously by the ChatGPT creator’s employees, most of whom had threatened to quit and join Altman at Microsoft. Altman and those focused more on commercializing the technology came out ahead of those worried about its apocalyptic potential. Gone are Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner and Ilya Sutskever, three of the four directors who ousted Altman. That board will help select a bigger permanent one, according to The Verge, which may include representation for Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest investor.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman, Altman, Tasha McCauley, Helen Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, Adam D’Angelo, Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s, ” Organizations: Microsoft, Treasury Locations: Silicon

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