Tech Shake-Up: Microsoft Welcomes Sam Altman and Greg Brockman
Microsoft just hired Sam Altman and Greg Brockman days after OpenAI's board fired Altman. This is wild. OpenAI cited a lack of confidence in his leadership, and before anyone could process what happened, Satya Nadella swooped in and gave them both jobs.
They're going to lead a new advanced AI research team at Microsoft. That's not a small role - this is Microsoft saying "we're all-in on AI, and we want the people who built ChatGPT running the show."
What's fascinating is the timing. Altman gets fired on Friday, and by Monday he's got a new gig at one of OpenAI's biggest investors. Microsoft already had a huge stake in OpenAI through their partnership, and now they've got the actual brains behind the operation on their direct payroll.
Nadella's making this look like a strategic masterstroke, but I wonder what this means for Microsoft's relationship with OpenAI. They're invested in both now, but with competing interests. This is going to get messy.