[Why&Next] AI Boomer Altman’s Victory Raises Questions Worldwide

The sudden dismissal of Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI known as the 'father of ChatGPT,' ended just five days later with his return. Analyzed as a reflection of the conflict between 'boomers' (pro-development advocates) and 'doomers' (doomsayers) over the pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development, this incident saw the 'boomer' Altman gain the upper hand, signaling an acceleration of AI commercialization projects within OpenAI. However, this event also raised more fundamental questions that had been overshadowed by the emergence of new AI technologies worldwide: how should AI, which could be either a blessing or a curse, be utilized? The concerns of various countries regarding guardrails and governance for the safe development of AI are expected to deepen.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

"The Unfireable Sam" Altman Returns as CEO... AI Commercialization Likely to Accelerate

On the 22nd (local time), OpenAI announced via X (formerly Twitter) that it had agreed to reinstate Altman as CEO and partially reorganize the board of directors that had ousted him. The OpenAI board, which dismissed Altman on the 17th, ultimately surrendered in the face of backlash from investors including Microsoft (MS) and the collective resignation threat from about 700 OpenAI employees. Had Altman not returned, the very existence of OpenAI, the industry leader that sparked the AI craze with ChatGPT, would have been at risk. Bloomberg News described it as "a shocking reversal drama that shook Silicon Valley and the global AI industry," noting that Altman returned to OpenAI just five days after being ousted.

Along with Altman's return, the OpenAI board underwent a major overhaul. Brett Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce and a figure actively recommended by Altman, joined as the new chairperson. Economic scholar Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, was also added to the board. Among the existing board members, only Adam D'Angelo, CEO of Quora, who actively participated in negotiations for Altman's return, remained. The new board, expected to expand to up to nine members, is likely to include representatives from MS, the largest shareholder who demonstrated influence during this incident. Financial media CNBC noted, "While the previous board included academics and researchers, the new directors have broad backgrounds in business and technology," suggesting that OpenAI, which started as a nonprofit, will transform into a structure similar to other Silicon Valley startups.

Altman's return is seen as a boost to the 'boomer' side in AI development. Altman, who aimed to accelerate AI tool development and commercialization, can now push his vision more strongly within OpenAI with the support of the reorganized board. Before his dismissal, Altman was raising funds in the Middle East to create an AI semiconductor company to compete with Nvidia and was also pursuing AI device development in collaboration with former Apple personnel. Accordingly, it is expected that the various projects he envisioned will now accelerate under OpenAI's leadership.

The newly restructured board is also expected to be a strong ally for Altman. Brett Taylor, the new board chair, is known to support AI service commercialization and was reportedly actively recommended by Altman. Additionally, recruiting Larry Summers, who wields influence in politics, business, and academia, is seen as a move to respond to regulatory challenges faced by countries during AI development. Furthermore, Altman himself and MS representatives are likely to join the new board. If so, those who share Altman's AI development philosophy will hold the majority on the board.

Bloomberg News stated, "Altman is now the undisputed decision-maker of the AI revolution," adding, "No one will be able to block the path of 'Sam the Unsackable'." CNN described the event as "putting an end to the chaos in the AI industry over who will lead and operate OpenAI and, more broadly, how quickly AI technology development should proceed."

For MS, considered one of the biggest winners of this incident, although the scenario of absorbing all OpenAI talents including Altman was not realized, it secured a victory by protecting its large-scale investment and expanding its influence within OpenAI. Despite holding 49% of OpenAI shares as the largest shareholder, MS had not held voting rights in this company where the nonprofit board held major decision-making power.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

'Boomer VS Doomer' Division Over AI Development Emerges... Concerns Expected to Deepen

However, the industry debate over AI development speed and commercialization, which led to Altman's sudden dismissal, has not ended. This incident essentially brought to the surface the division between boomers, who want to maximize AI's potential, and doomers, who view AI as an existential threat to humanity. As a result, it is expected that conflicts and discussions between the two sides will spread throughout the industry.

Unlike Altman, who has advocated for AI development and commercial use, most of the previous OpenAI board members expressed concerns that rushing AI development could pose existential risks to humanity. Notably, chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, a representative moderate, reportedly expressed worries that Altman was not paying sufficient attention to these potential risks. Similarly, Dario Amodei, who was part of the Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology research team, co-authored a paper criticizing OpenAI on AI safety issues. Emmett Shear, former Twitch CEO and interim CEO after Altman's ousting, also belongs to the 'doomer' camp advocating slowing down AI development.

This conflict is not limited to OpenAI. Similar situations have been reported at Meta, Anthropic, and others, where opinions between boomers and doomers diverge. The Economist described this incident as "the most dramatic revelation of the division occurring in Silicon Valley."

Ultimately, the real questions left by this incident are "Is AI safe?" and "How should AI be utilized?" Vox.com stated, "Building AI smarter than humans while ensuring it is safe and beneficial to humanity is OpenAI's dual mission," adding, "There is an inherent tension between these goals. This OpenAI incident will help trigger the biggest upheaval in the tech industry."

Concerns over AI guardrails and regulations are also expected to deepen worldwide. Time magazine noted, "AI startups striving to balance rapid AI advancement and ethical responsibility are left questioning their future direction." Politico assessed, "Washington policymakers struggling to keep up with rapidly evolving AI technology were caught off guard," and predicted, "This turmoil is likely to influence how the U.S. Congress and the Biden administration approach AI regulation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.