''A Hero Of Mine'': Ex-Google CEO Reacts To Sam Altman's Ouster From OpenAI

OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT a year ago, said Friday it had dismissed CEO Sam Altman as it no longer had confidence in his ability to lead the Microsoft-backed firm. The dismissal prompted co-founder Greg Brockman to announce his departure too. Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, will take over as interim CEO effective immediately, the company said, while it searches for a permanent replacement.

The news has sent shockwaves across the technology and business industry, and several tech and business leaders across the world have reacted to the development. Google's former CEO Eric Schmidt called Sam Altman ''his hero'', and praised him for building the company from nothing to $90 billion in value.

''Sam Altman is a hero of mine.  He built a company from nothing to $90 Billion in value and changed our collective world forever.  I can't wait to see what he does next.  I, and billions of people, will benefit from his future work- it's going to be simply incredible.  Thank you @sama  for all you have done for all of us,'' he wrote on X. Notably, Mr. Schmidt served as CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011.

See the tweet here:
 

Sam Altman is a hero of mine. He built a company from nothing to $90 Billion in value, and changed our collective world forever. I can't wait to see what he does next. I, and billions of people, will benefit from his future work- it's going to be simply incredible. Thank you…

— Eric Schmidt (@ericschmidt) November 17, 2023

Many others also praised Mr Altman for his accomplishments in the world of AI. Brian Chesky, cofounder and CEO of Airbnb, wrote, ''Sam Altman and Greg Brockman have my full support. I'm saddened by what's transpired. They, and the rest of the OpenAI team, deserve better.''

Sam Altman and Greg Brockman have my full support. I'm saddened by what's transpired. They, and the rest of the OpenAI team, deserve better

— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) November 18, 2023

Shopify CEO, Tobi Lutke, wrote, "Crazy turn of events. Sad to see him move on from OpenAI."

Meanwhile, a group of OpenAI staff has threatened that they will quit if the entire board doesn't resign and reinstate Sam Altman as the CEO. Some sources say that OpenAI investors are pressing the company board to reverse the decision to sack Sam Altman. 

If  Mr Altman were to return, he would ask for changes in the way the company is governed.  If he does not return, he has been considering launching a new venture, possibly with former staffers of OpenAI, according to several people. 

Mr Altman, 38, became a tech world sensation with the release of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot with unprecedented capabilities, churning out human-level content like poems or artwork in just seconds. Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI and has woven the company's technology into its offerings, including the search engine Bing. The launch of ChatGPT ignited an AI race, with contenders including tech giants Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta.