Microsoft has announced the hiring of Sam Altman, co-founder and former number one at OpenAI, in a new twist on the world of artificial intelligence. The company’s stock rose 1.6% in early trading and is now up about 1% after the news.
Altman and his co-founder Greg Brockman have joined Microsoft to lead a new AI research team, as announced by CEO Satya Nadella on Twitter. “The mission continues,” Altman responded, while Brockman added that they were excited to be working on something new and amazing with their team.
Former Twitch boss Emmett Shear also joined OpenAI as interim number one shortly after Altman’s departure was announced. He described his decision to take on the role as “the opportunity of a lifetime” and said he believed OpenAI was one of the most important companies out there today.
The announcements come after a tumultuous weekend for OpenAI, during which its board of directors fired Sam Altman after “a deliberative review process.” The body no longer had confidence in his ability to lead the company, it added. An independent investigation will be launched within 30 days to shed light on Altman’s firing and the startup’s turnaround.