OpenAI Appoints Ex-Twitch Boss as Interim CEO; Altman Joins Microsoft 

The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. (Reuters)
The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. (Reuters)
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OpenAI Appoints Ex-Twitch Boss as Interim CEO; Altman Joins Microsoft 

The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. (Reuters)
The OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken, February 3, 2023. (Reuters)

OpenAI has appointed ex-Twitch boss Emmett Shear to lead the startup, replacing Sam Altman who will join the company's top backer Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team, the CEO of the software giant said late on Sunday.

"We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted on social media platform X. He added Microsoft remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI.

Shear was named interim CEO, a person briefed on the appointment told Reuters.

The decision not to reinstate Altman as CEO of the company behind ChatGPT has confounded efforts by investors and employees of the firm to steady the ship by bringing him back after the board fired him on Friday, a surprise move that rocked the tech world.

They fear his abrupt sacking could lead to a mass exodus of talent and impact an upcoming $86 billion share sale.

Nadella said Altman would join Microsoft to "lead a new advanced AI research team".

Reuters earlier reported that Altman was discussing a possible return to OpenAI and changing the company's governance structure, even as he considered launching a new AI venture.

Altman and Greg Brockman, who stepped down from the OpenAI board as chairman as part of the management shuffle, joined executives at the company's headquarters on Sunday after then interim CEO Mira Murati told staff she invited Altman, The Information earlier reported on Sunday.

Nadella said Brockman would also join the software company.

Altman posted an image of himself on X on Sunday wearing an OpenAI guest badge with the caption: "first and last time i ever wear one of these." In a separate post on X, he reshared Nadella's message with a comment "the mission continues".

Shear co-founded Twitch and had stepped down from the Amazon.com-owned live video streaming platform earlier this year.

Brockman quit over Altman's firing on Friday. Their departures blindsided many employees who discovered the abrupt management change from an internal message and the company's public blog.

Some researchers including Szymon Sidor have also left the company following the CEO change, two people familiar with the matter said. Sidor confirmed quitting.

The Information first reported the appointment of Shear as interim CEO.

Shortly after the internal announcement of Shear's appointment, distraught employees "streamed out" of OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco, The Information reported.

Dozens of staffers internally announced they were quitting the company on Sunday night, it said, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.

OpenAI kicked off the generative AI craze a year ago by releasing ChatGPT. The chatbot became one of the world's fastest-growing software applications.



OpenAI Finds More Chinese Groups Using ChatGPT for Malicious Purposes

FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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OpenAI Finds More Chinese Groups Using ChatGPT for Malicious Purposes

FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

OpenAI is seeing an increasing number of Chinese groups using its artificial intelligence technology for covert operations, which the ChatGPT maker described in a report released Thursday.

While the scope and tactics employed by these groups have expanded, the operations detected were generally small in scale and targeted limited audiences, the San Francisco-based startup said, according to Reuters.

Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, there have been concerns about the potential consequences of generative AI technology, which can quickly and easily produce human-like text, imagery and audio.

OpenAI regularly releases reports on malicious activity it detects on its platform, such as creating and debugging malware, or generating fake content for websites and social media platforms.

In one example, OpenAI banned ChatGPT accounts that generated social media posts on political and geopolitical topics relevant to China, including criticism of a Taiwan-centric video game, false accusations against a Pakistani activist, and content related to the closure of USAID.

Some content also criticized US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs, generating X posts, such as "Tariffs make imported goods outrageously expensive, yet the government splurges on overseas aid. Who's supposed to keep eating?".

In another example, China-linked threat actors used AI to support various phases of their cyber operations, including open-source research, script modification, troubleshooting system configurations, and development of tools for password brute forcing and social media automation.

A third example OpenAI found was a China-origin influence operation that generated polarized social media content supporting both sides of divisive topics within US political discourse, including text and AI-generated profile images.

China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on OpenAI's findings.

OpenAI has cemented its position as one of the world's most valuable private companies after announcing a $40 billion funding round valuing the company at $300 billion.