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Emmett Shear, the interim CEO of OpenAI, might be on the brink of losing his job soon due to the rapidly changing and unpredictable situation at the AI company. Currently, he’s in charge after a series of events shook up the company over the past few days. Sam Altman was fired, replaced by CTO Mira Murati, but then Murati got replaced by Shear.
Shear, formerly involved with Justin.tv and Twitch, finds himself facing a heap of challenges at OpenAI. The company is in the midst of fundraising and navigating AI regulations while planning more research and signing new contracts to secure long-term customers.
His initial plan involves a three-step approach: identifying issues, correcting them, and turning these corrections into benefits. Shear aims to understand what’s happening within the company by hiring an independent investigator in the next month to produce a comprehensive report. Additionally, he plans to listen to employees, partners, investors, and customers to address concerns and ensure the company doesn’t lose its clients or partners.
Although the reasons behind Altman’s departure weren’t related to safety concerns in running the business, Shear clarified that he wouldn’t have accepted the CEO role without the board’s support for commercializing their models.
Despite Shear’s quick decision to accept the role, some controversial opinions he expressed in the past have been brought to light. These include unsettling comments about hypothetical scenarios involving Nazis and discussions on sensitive topics like women’s consent. His viewpoints have raised eyebrows given the scrutiny on ethics in AI.
Interestingly, Shear has also expressed support for slowing down AI development, which contrasts with OpenAI’s recent push for rapid advancement showcased during its developer event where they announced significant user numbers for ChatGPT and new ways for third parties to use their AI platform.
His independence from Amazon’s oversight might have made him an appealing choice for OpenAI’s board. Shear emphasizes maintaining a strong partnership with Microsoft, even as many employees consider jumping ship to Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI.
It remains uncertain how Shear’s views might influence AI development at OpenAI, especially considering the company’s current commercial strategy. The situation is fluid, and given the pace of changes, the story might evolve further.
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