According to people familiar with the matter, Sam Altman and OpenAI board members have begun negotiations regarding Altman’s possible return. Altman is in discussions with at least one board member, Adam D'Angelo, people familiar with the matter said. The talks also involve some of OpenAI's investors, who are also pushing for the artificial intelligence company's co-founder to return to the company.
Under one scenario discussed, Altman would return to the company as a transitional board director.
The beginning of communication between the two sides is a significant development in itself. Until Monday, company directors had largely refused to engage with Altman, who they ousted last Friday.
On Monday, Anna Makanju, the company's vice president of global affairs, sent a memo to employees saying the company was in "intense discussions" with the board, Altman and new CEO Emmett Shear to keep the company united. A large number of employees have previously threatened to resign unless Altman is reinstated and other demands are met.
The board came under scrutiny for its decision to fire Altman, who the board said was not always candid in his communications. In the days since, board members and employees said the ouster had nothing to do with "malfeasance" or "security," leaving an information vacuum that prompted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to say publicly that he, too, had not been given an explanation.
Even CEO Shear was kept in the dark, according to people familiar with the matter. He told people close to OpenAI that he had no intention of staying on if the board couldn't clearly communicate to him the reasons for Altman's sudden firing.
As of last Friday, the company's board of directors included Altman, President Greg Brockman, chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Quora Inc. CEO Adam D’Angelo, tech entrepreneur Tasha McCauley and Helen Toner, director of strategy at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technologies. After Altman resigned, Brockman also stepped down in protest.