Helen Toner, former board member of OpenAI, who was one of those who voted to remove Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI, made headlines late last year. She revealed additional details in an interview on The TED AI Show that led to the decision to oust Altman.
Toner, currently the director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University, stated that the board began to lose confidence in Altman when ChatGPT, a chatbot, was introduced in late 2022 without the board’s prior knowledge. It was only after seeing posts on Twitter that the board became aware of this. Looking back, when OpenAI first unveiled ChatGPT, it wasn’t initially a major issue of interest, but it quickly became a key talking point on AI capabilities, sparking a trend around AI to this day.
Additionally, Toner disclosed that Altman never disclosed the establishment of a fund for start-ups with the company board, and there were several instances where Altman provided inaccurate information about the cybersecurity process in AI products. This lack of clarity led to the board being unable to understand or advise on this process, causing a breakdown in trust in Altman. Despite these issues, over 95% of OpenAI employees came out in support of Altman’s return as CEO, and OpenAI reaffirmed its core mission to create safe AGI for everyone.
Toner recently shared similar views with The Economist, suggesting that OpenAI has governance issues and proposing increased government oversight in ensuring AI safety.
OpenAI has yet to comment on the issues raised by Toner, with Bret Taylor, chairman of the OpenAI board, expressing disappointment in Toner’s attempt to revisit the issue, providing feedback from the independent committee investigating Altman’s removal as CEO. They found no basis for concerns regarding AI product security, development speed, company finances, or communications with investors, customers, and partners.
Source: Bloomberg
TLDR: Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner reveals details leading to Sam Altman’s removal as CEO, citing lack of trust due to undisclosed ventures and cybersecurity concerns. Despite internal discord, majority of employees support Altman’s return. Calls for increased government oversight in AI safety.
Leave a Comment