Tech experts are analysing the potential implications of the recent upheaval in the AI business for both the industry’s emerging firms and the industry as a whole.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, which popularised AI late last year, will step down, and his technical head Mira Murati will take over as interim CEO.
Nevertheless, OpenAI seemed to veer off course before the weekend was even finished, revealing that Emmett Shear, the former head of Twitch, would replace Altman—at least temporarily.
Former OpenAI Board Chair Greg Brockman and a few other staff members will be joining Altman in his new position as head of Microsoft’s new advanced AI research unit.
Yet, Richard Windsor, the creator of digital research firm Radio Free Mobile, suggests that Altman’s action may just be Microsoft trying to “distress control.” On CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe” on Monday, he noted that this is related to Microsoft’s significant investments in OpenAI.
When CNBC asked Microsoft for comment on the statement, the company did not answer right away.
Microsoft started contributing to OpenAI in 2019 with an initial investment of about $1 billion. Since then, the amount has reportedly increased to more than $13 billion. Additionally, Microsoft has incorporated OpenAI’s capabilities into a number of other software products as well as the search engine Bing.
“The engineers who work for the company and the founders bear a major portion of that value,” Windsor stated.
On Monday, CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” host Rishi Jaluria, managing director for software stock research at RBC Capital Markets, stated that Altman shares Microsoft’s AI vision.
According to him, “Sam Altman’s vision is kind of what Microsoft wants,” which includes commercialising and “having responsible AI but not handcuffing AI.”
As for Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, several IT experts support his quick decision to bring Altman on board.
Source (CNBC)
