Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner recently discussed why OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was fired. She explained that last year's turmoil at OpenAI was due to a breakdown of trust caused by Altman's dishonesty, which made it impossible for the board to have confidence in him.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addresses a speech during a meeting, at the Station F in Paris on May 26, 2023. Altman, the boss of OpenAI, the firm behind the massively popular ChatGPT bot, said on May 26, 2023, in Paris that his firm's technology would not destroy the job market as he sought to calm fears about the march of artificial intelligence (AI). (Photo : JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)
Criticizing OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, AI Safety Management
Helen Toner, a former board member of OpenAI, recently revealed that the company's board was unaware of the ChatGPT launch until it was publicly released in November 2022. The board only found out about ChatGPT through Twitter.
Toner's revelation came shortly after she co-authored an article with Tasha McCauley, another former OpenAI board member, criticizing the company's governance. This was the first time Toner publicly addressed the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's dramatic firing last year and his swift reinstatement following employee protests.
In a podcast, Toner, now the director of strategy at the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown, criticized the OpenAI CEO for obstructing the board's duties. She accused Altman of withholding crucial information, misrepresenting facts, and occasionally lying to the board.
Toner also claimed that Altman concealed the company's ownership structure, failing to disclose his ownership of the OpenAI startup fund while presenting himself as an independent board member with no financial interest.
These actions severely undermined the board's trust in Altman, leading to serious discussions by October 2023 about whether to remove him from his position.
Toner strongly criticized Altman's handling of AI safety concerns, stating that he frequently provided the board with inaccurate information regarding the company's safety procedures.
This misinformation made it virtually impossible for the board to assess the effectiveness of these safety measures accurately or identify necessary changes.
As a response, an OpenAI spokesperson directed to the statement made on The TED AI Show. Bret Taylor, OpenAI's current board chief and co-CEO of Salesforce, expressed disappointment that Toner continues to address these issues.
He noted that an independent review of Sam Altman's dismissal found that the previous board's decision was not related to concerns about product safety, security, development pace, financial matters, or communications with investors, customers, or business partners.
The specific reasons behind Altman's unexpected dismissal last year remain unclear, fueling speculations in Silicon Valley. Last November, OpenAI made headlines by dismissing Altman and appointing Mira Murati, the company's chief technology officer, as interim CEO.
The sudden announcement surprised employees, with many learning the news through the company's blog post. According to OpenAI's statement, Altman's removal followed a thorough review process that determined he had not been transparent in his communications with the board.
However, Altman was reinstated to the board in March by a temporary group that included Bret Taylor, economist Larry Summers, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, Instacart CEO Fiji Simo, former Sony executive Nicole Seligman, and Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, the former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
