545: Sam's Busy Weekend
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OpenAI's weekend coup, plus our thoughts on Microsoft's gambit and their looming risk.

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• Apple pulls its ads from X after Musk’s antisemitic posts ) — Big-spending advertisers like Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and IBM have pulled back from the platform after Elon Musk expressed support for antisemitic posts.
• TikTok ads: Apple still a top spender, despite growing controversy) — Apple remains one of the top-spending companies when it comes to TikTok ads, despite growing controversy about whether the app is a threat to US national security.
• Viral PANIC As Bin Laden Letter Spreads on TikTok - YouTube) — Krystal and Emily discuss Osama Bin Ladens Letter To America going viral on TikTok.
• Peak AI Hype?) — Is this Peak AI hype? Boost in your worst AI marketing.
• Sam Altman fired as CEO of OpenAI ) — In a sudden move, Altman is leaving after the company’s board determined that he ‘was not consistently candid in his communications.’ President and co-founder Greg Brockman has also quit.
• Microsoft is a key investor in OpenAI. It was blindsided by Sam Altman's exit.) — Microsoft, which has invested billions in OpenAI, learned that OpenAI was ousting CEO Sam Altman just a minute before the news was shared with the world, according to a person familiar with the situation.
• 3 OpenAI Researchers Resign Following Sam Altman's Dismissal: Report) — The Information reported that following his departure, three senior researchers at the company quit.
• OpenAI board in discussions with Sam Altman to return as CEO - The Verge) — A source close to Altman says the board had agreed in principle to resign and to allow Altman and Greg Brockman to return but has since waffled
• OpenAI Board Urged by Microsoft, Investors to Restore Altman ) — Altman has been weighing new venture, but open to returning
• OpenAI Investors Pushing to Reinstate Sam Altman As CEO: Reports)
• OpenAI has received just a fraction of Microsoft’s $10 billion investment) — That gives the software giant significant leverage as it sorts through the fallout from the ouster of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The firm’s board said on Friday that it had lost confidence in his ability to lead, without giving additional details.
• OpenAI Corp Structure is Bonkers) — When ownership innovation is…
• Altman Sought Billions For Chip Venture Before OpenAI Ouster) — The project, code-named Tigris, is intended to rival Nvidia
• Microsoft hires ex-OpenAI leaders Altman and Brockman to lead new AI group ) — Microsoft has hired OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to head up a “new advanced AI research team,” the software conglomerate’s chief Satya Nadella said Monday
• Breaking with @reckless: Sam Altman and Greg Brockman’s move to Microsoft isn’t a done deal. ) — Pressure is on the board to still resign gracefully after the flipping of Ilya Sutskever last night
• OpenAI Staff Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns) — More than 700 employees of OpenAI have signed a letter saying they may quit and join Sam Altman at Microsoft unless the startup’s board resigns and reappoints the ousted CEO.
• Emmett Shear’s time at Twitch gives clues to future of OpenAI) — “But Shear has expressed strong concerns over the supposed existential risks posed by AI, a concern that I suspect resonated with the board, even though Shear says this CEO shakeup wasn’t about AI safety.”
• Stephanie Palazzolo on X:) — He's agreed to an internal investigation into alleged conduct that prompted the board to oust him in the first place.
• Gary Marcus on X: "‼️ 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 scoop 👉) — Sam and Greg gave up their board seats Sam agreed to an internal investigation

This is inconsistent with all narratives about “cloddish” or self-interested boards, and suggests that something real happened.