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Speculations surrounding Sam Altman's ousting from OpenAI in November 2023 have been clarified by former board member Helen Toner in an interview on The TED AI Show podcast. Toner revealed that Altman was expelled due to a pattern of "withholding information" and "misrepresenting things" to the board. She alleged that Altman lied to other board members in an effort to remove her after she published a critical research paper. She stated, "Sam started lying to other board members in order to try and push me off the board."
Another critical issue was Altman’s failure to disclose his ownership of the OpenAI Startup Fund while claiming to be an independent board member with no financial interests. Toner cited the board's discovery of ChatGPT's release via Twitter in November 2022 as an example of their lack of oversight, saying, "The board was not informed in advance. We learned about ChatGPT on Twitter."
Toner explained that the decision to fire Altman was made after intense discussions and under secrecy to prevent him from undermining their efforts. She emphasized, "It was very clear to all of us that as soon as Sam had any inkling that we might do something that went against him, he would pull out all the stops, do everything in his power to undermine the board."
Despite their careful planning, Altman was quickly rehired following a public outcry and internal pressure from employees and investors like Microsoft. Toner elaborated that many employees supported Altman's return due to fear of retaliation and the perceived threat to the company's stability. She noted, "They were really afraid of what might happen to them" if Altman remained in power.
Toner also highlighted Altman's troubled history in Silicon Valley, mentioning his firing from Y Combinator and earlier issues at his startup, Loopt. She pointed out, "If you actually look at his track record, he doesn’t exactly have a glowing trail of references."
In response, current OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor expressed disappointment over Toner's continued discussion of these issues. He stated that an independent review found the prior board's decision was not based on product safety, security, or financial concerns.
