The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

At Freyr's pilot plant in Mo i Rana, Norway. Photo: Courtesy Freyr

The Electric: Freyr Takes Drastic Action After Trouble Scaling Up 24M’s Battery

By Steve LeVine · Nov 20, 2023 4:30am PST

A surprising manufacturing setback by Freyr Battery has more than halved its share price and struck a blow at the reputation of 24M Technologies, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinoff that licenses a novel battery that Freyr has planned to manufacture in gigafactories in Norway and Georgia. A surprising manufacturing setback by Freyr Battery has more than halved its share price and...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

OpenAI Staff Revolt Raises Pressure on Board to Back Down

By Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Nov 20, 2023 12:41am PST · 27 comments

Sam Altman’s jump to Microsoft may not be as much of a done deal as it seemed on Sunday night. Monday morning’s statement of regret by Ilya Sutskever, an OpenAI co-founder and board member who participated in Altman’s firing as CEO, signaled that at least one of the four members of the board had changed their mind. Sutskever... Sam Altman’s jump to Microsoft may not be as much of a done deal as it seemed on Sunday...

OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever via Getty.

Dozens of Staffers Quit OpenAI After Sutskever Says Altman Won’t Return

By Amir Efrati · Nov 19, 2023 10:29pm PST · 14 comments

Dozens of OpenAI staffers internally announced they were quitting the company Sunday night, said a person with knowledge of the situation, after board director and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever told employees that fired CEO Sam Altman would not return. The moves could hamper the company's ability to move forward after the shock... Dozens of OpenAI staffers internally announced they were quitting the company Sunday night,...

OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever speak together in Tel Aviv on June 5, 2023.

Emmett Shear Becomes Interim OpenAI CEO as Altman Talks Break Down

By Amir Efrati and Anissa Gardizy · Nov 19, 2023 8:58pm PST · 43 comments

OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever speak together in Tel Aviv on June 5, 2023.

Emmett Shear Becomes Interim OpenAI CEO as Altman Talks Break Down

By Amir Efrati and Anissa Gardizy · Nov 19, 2023 8:58pm PST · 43 comments

Sam Altman won’t return as CEO of OpenAI, despite efforts by the company’s executives to bring him back, according to co-founder and board director Ilya Sutskever. After a weekend of negotiations with the board of directors that fired him Friday, as well as with its remaining leaders and top investors, Altman will not return to the... Sam Altman won’t return as CEO of OpenAI, despite efforts by the company’s executives...

Sam Altman and Satya Nadella at OpenAI DevDay on Nov. 6. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty.

Microsoft Eyes Seat on OpenAI’s Revamped Board

By Aaron Holmes and Kate Clark · Nov 19, 2023 4:01pm PST · 13 comments

Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest backer, is considering taking a role on the board if ousted CEO Sam Altman’s returns to the ChatGPT developer, according to two people familiar with the talks. Microsoft could either take a seat on OpenAI’s board of directors, or as a board observer without voting power, one of the people said. The... Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest backer, is considering taking a role on the board if ousted CEO...

Sam Altman at the OpenAI DevDay event on Nov. 6 in San Francisco. Photo by Getty.

Altman, Brockman Arrive at OpenAI Headquarters as Execs Push to Reinstate Them

By Erin Woo and Amir Efrati · Nov 19, 2023 12:06pm PST · 5 comments

Two days after OpenAI’s board of directors fired him, Sam Altman joined executives at the company’s San Francisco headquarters Sunday as they pushed the board to reinstate him and other recently departed executives, said a person with knowledge of the situatioin. Interim CEO Mira Murati earlier told staff that she and the leadership... Two days after OpenAI’s board of directors fired him, Sam Altman joined executives at the...

Sam Altman receiving an award on behalf of OpenAI in Cambridge, England on November 1. Photo by Nordin Catic via Getty.

OpenAI’s Rivals Rush to Poach Staff After Altman Ouster

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Natasha Mascarenhas, Jon Victor and Kate Clark · Nov 19, 2023 9:47am PST

For at least a brief moment, OpenAI's rivals caught a lucky break. After spending the last year racing to catch up to the ChatGPT developer’s lead, OpenAI competitors learned the jaw-dropping news: the startup’s board had pushed out Altman. By Sunday it looked like the reprieve would be short-lived, as growing employee and... For at least a brief moment, OpenAI's rivals caught a lucky break. After spending the last...

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman with then-CTO Mira Murati on Oct. 17. AFP via Getty

OpenAI ‘Optimistic’ It Can Bring Back Sam Altman, Greg Brockman

By Erin Woo, Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Nov 18, 2023 10:25pm PST · 25 comments

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman with then-CTO Mira Murati on Oct. 17. AFP via Getty

OpenAI ‘Optimistic’ It Can Bring Back Sam Altman, Greg Brockman

By Erin Woo, Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Nov 18, 2023 10:25pm PST · 25 comments

OpenAI is “optimistic” it can bring back Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and other key employees who departed in the wake of Altman’s sudden firing on Friday, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon told staffers in a memo Saturday night, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Executives will be able to share another update... OpenAI is “optimistic” it can bring back Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and other key...

Sam Altman at OpenAI DevDay on November 6. Photo by Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty.

If Sam Altman Returns to OpenAI, Board Will Go

By Kate Clark, Natasha Mascarenhas and Anissa Gardizy · Nov 18, 2023 6:11pm PST · 26 comments

OpenAI’s ousted CEO Sam Altman was discussing a return to the startup he co-founded Saturday, after a flood of employee support and as major investors pressured the board to reverse the decision. His return would invite a new bout of upheaval: the members of the board would have to be replaced, according to a person familiar with the... OpenAI’s ousted CEO Sam Altman was discussing a return to the startup he co-founded...

Greg Brockman and Sam Altman at a fireside chat organized by SoftBank Ventures Asia on June 5 in Seoul. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

OpenAI Co-Founder Altman Plans New AI Venture

By Kate Clark and Cory Weinberg · Nov 18, 2023 11:46am PST · 13 comments

Sam Altman, the recently ousted CEO of OpenAI, has been telling investors that he is planning to launch a new artificial intelligence venture, according to a person familiar with the matter. Former OpenAI president Greg Brockman is expected to join the effort and the project is still in development, the person said. The exact nature of the... Sam Altman, the recently ousted CEO of OpenAI, has been telling investors that he is planning to...

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Photo via AP.

OpenAI’s $86 Billion Share Sale in Jeopardy Following Altman Firing

By Kate Clark, Aaron Holmes and Jon Victor · Nov 18, 2023 10:53am PST · 2 comments

A planned sale of OpenAI employee shares that would value the startup at about $86 billion on paper hangs in the balance after the sudden firing of CEO Sam Altman and a slew of top executive departures. The tender offer, which Thrive Capital is leading, has not yet closed but has been in its final stages and was expected to be completed as soon... A planned sale of OpenAI employee shares that would value the startup at about $86 billion on...

Meta Splits Up Its Responsible AI Team

By Kalley Huang and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Nov 18, 2023 10:28am PST · 2 comments

Meta Splits Up Its Responsible AI Team

By Kalley Huang and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Nov 18, 2023 10:28am PST · 2 comments

Meta Platforms has split up a team responsible for understanding and preventing harms associated with the artificial intelligence technology it’s developing, as the company diverts more resources to its generative AI work, according to an internal post reviewed by The Information. The changes are part of a wider reshuffle of the AI teams... Meta Platforms has split up a team responsible for understanding and preventing harms associated...

Live By the Valley, Die By the Valley

Live By the Valley, Die By the Valley

By Jon Steinberg · Nov 18, 2023 6:00am PST · 1 comment

New subscribers can get three months on us with our Black Friday offer, available through November 26. You’ll save 25% on an annual subscription, which gives you unlimited access to our journalism, org charts, events, newsletters—and, of course, every story from The Information Weekend. Subscribe here to save $100+.Hi, welcome to your... New subscribers can get three months on us with our Black Friday offer, available through...

OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever. Photo via Getty

Three Senior OpenAI Researchers Resign as Crisis Deepens

By Jon Victor and Amir Efrati · Nov 17, 2023 10:41pm PST · 25 comments

Three senior researchers at OpenAI resigned Friday night as the artificial intelligence developer suffered fallout from the firing of CEO Sam Altman and sudden resignation of President Greg Brockman, according to several people with knowledge of the situation. Jakub Pachocki, the company’s director of research; Aleksander Madry, head of a... Three senior researchers at OpenAI resigned Friday night as the artificial intelligence developer...

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Photo by Getty

What Went Down at OpenAI

By Laura Mandaro · Nov 17, 2023 7:15pm PST

What a turn of events! OpenAI began the day once again as the hottest startup in tech, run by the smartest hotshots in artificial intelligence. But around lunchtime on the west coast, it was a car crash, one that kept getting worse throughout the day. First, the OpenAI board dropped a bombshell with the announcement that it had ousted CEO... What a turn of events! OpenAI began the day once again as the hottest startup in tech, run by the...

Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever speaking at Tel Aviv University on June 5. Photo by Jack Guez/AFP via Getty.

Before OpenAI Ousted Altman, Employees Disagreed Over AI ‘Safety’

By Jon Victor, Stephanie Palazzolo, Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Nov 17, 2023 6:40pm PST · 18 comments

Sam Altman and Ilya Sutskever speaking at Tel Aviv University on June 5. Photo by Jack Guez/AFP via Getty.

Before OpenAI Ousted Altman, Employees Disagreed Over AI ‘Safety’

By Jon Victor, Stephanie Palazzolo, Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Nov 17, 2023 6:40pm PST · 18 comments

OpenAI’s ouster of CEO Sam Altman on Friday followed internal arguments among employees about whether the company was developing artificial intelligence safely enough, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Such disagreements were high on the minds of some employees during an impromptu all-hands meeting following the firing.... OpenAI’s ouster of CEO Sam Altman on Friday followed internal arguments among employees...

Greg Brockman. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

OpenAI President Brockman Resigns Following CEO Firing

By Amir Efrati and Jon Victor · Nov 17, 2023 4:10pm PST · 21 comments

OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who helped launch the artificial intelligence developer and has been key to developing ChatGPT and other core products, has resigned, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The move came after the company's board fired CEO Sam Altman earlier Friday. Brockman was a member of the six-member ... OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who helped launch the artificial intelligence developer and has...

OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Photo by Getty.

Interim OpenAI CEO: Microsoft Has ‘Utmost Confidence’ in Startup Following Altman Departure

By Erin Woo, Anissa Gardizy, Aaron Holmes and Amir Efrati · Nov 17, 2023 2:43pm PST · 11 comments

OpenAI Interim CEO Mira Murati on Friday told staff in a companywide meeting that its relationship with Microsoft—its biggest outside source of capital and computing power—was stable following the sudden firing of CEO Sam Altman, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CTO Kevin Scott... OpenAI Interim CEO Mira Murati on Friday told staff in a companywide meeting that its...

The Dating App Founder Who Wants You to Stop Swiping

By Annie Goldsmith · Nov 17, 2023 11:00am PST · 3 comments

Within minutes of meeting Amanda Bradford, founder of dating app The League, I had to bring up the company’s did-they-really-just-say-that subway ads. “Date someone with a 5-year plan that makes you want to ovulate” one reads; “Achieve multiple goalgasms” suggests another. Covering three New York... Within minutes of meeting Amanda Bradford, founder of dating app The League, I had to bring up...

Arab tech founders and investors said that Silicon Valley was not a safe place to express pro-Palestinian perspectives. Art by Clark Miller

For Arabs in Tech, a Time of Fear and a Culture of Silence

By Margaux MacColl · Nov 17, 2023 10:04am PST · 14 comments

Arab tech founders and investors said that Silicon Valley was not a safe place to express pro-Palestinian perspectives. Art by Clark Miller

For Arabs in Tech, a Time of Fear and a Culture of Silence

By Margaux MacColl · Nov 17, 2023 10:04am PST · 14 comments

Amid the Israeli military’s siege of Gaza in late October, Ali, an Arab American tech investor, decided to send a letter to over 200 of his firm’s portfolio founders, fellow investors and other work contacts. He began the letter by saying he was outraged by the Hamas terror attacks of October 7 and he prayed for the safe return of... Amid the Israeli military’s siege of Gaza in late October, Ali, an Arab American tech...