OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman was cleared of any wrongdoing that would have mandated being fired from the company late last year, according to a report based on a monthslong investigation into the events leading up to his brief ouster.
WilmerHale, the law firm that conducted the inquiry, found that the board’s decision to fire Altman was a "consequence of a breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust between the prior Board and Mr. Altman,” the artificial intelligence startup said Friday. It did not arise from concerns about product safety, the pace of development, or OpenAI’s finances, it said.
Altman is rejoining the company’s board following the findings, the artificial intelligence startup said. OpenAI’s board is also adding Sue Desmond-Hellmann, who previously was head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Nicole Seligman, an ex-Sony Entertainment executive; and Instacart CEO Fidji Simo.