Analysis of “Sam Altman’s recruitment as a safety measure for Microsoft”, investment in Open AI becomes uncertain

[비즈니스포스트] There is growing speculation that Microsoft’s hiring of OpenAI founder Sam Altman may be a ‘safeguard’ decision to reduce the risk of large-scale investments in OpenAI.

According to CNBC on the 21st, there are various interpretations as to why Microsoft had Sam Altman, who was dismissed as CEO of OpenAI, join the artificial intelligence (AI) research and development team.

Open AI’s board of directors announced on the 17th (US local time) that it was dismissing Sam Altman as CEO due to problems with communication. Further details were not officially revealed.

Sam Altman is the founder of OpenAI and the person who led the development of the core service ‘ChatGPT’.

Many Open AI employees and shareholders strongly demanded Sam Altman’s return as CEO, but Open AI’s board of directors drew a line on this possibility by appointing a new CEO.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a ‘surprise announcement’ that he had recruited executives from Open AI, including Sam Altman, to lead a new artificial intelligence research and development team.

Microsoft maintained a close relationship with OpenAI as a major investor, investing $13 billion (approximately 16.8 trillion won).

In this situation, there is an analysis that the reason Microsoft entrusted Sam Altman with an important role is to lower the risk of investing a huge amount of money in Open AI.

It is said that the judgment was that if Sam Altman worked at Microsoft, which has a cooperative relationship with Open AI, it would be possible to prevent Open AI executives and employees from leaving the company.

Research agency Radio Free Mobile said through CNBC, “Altman’s decision to join Microsoft may have been a ‘safeguard’ measure,” adding, “This is because the large-scale investment was a decision with OpenAI’s founders and engineers in mind.” .

Radio Free Mobile believed that there was a good chance that many Open AI employees would follow Altman to Microsoft.

CNBC reported that hundreds of Open AI executives and employees have already expressed their intention to follow in Altman’s footsteps in a statement to the board of directors demanding his return as CEO.

Securities firm RBC Capital also predicted that this recruitment could lead to positive results given that Microsoft’s vision for the artificial intelligence business largely matches Altman’s.

RBC Capital said, “Altman has a policy of not applying excessive regulations while feeling responsible in the process of promoting artificial intelligence commercialization,” and added, “This is the way Microsoft wants.”

Wedbush, a securities firm, also said, “Microsoft has secured a stronger position in the artificial intelligence field with the addition of Altman,” and evaluated that it is using a strategy that is ‘one step above’ the Open AI board.

Wedbush criticized this incident as a ‘coup attempt’ by the OpenAI board of directors and pointed out that it will go down in history as an attempt that only caused great confusion both internally and externally. Reporter Kim Yong-won