【Romance Archives】

Sam Altman admitted he was "hurt and Romance Archivesangry" after OpenAI's board of directors fired him for "failing to be consistently candid in his communications," according to an interview with The Verge.

He told the tech outlet that he was defiant when some board members asked him to return, but he pushed past the "ego and emotions" to come back.

Why Altman decided to return to OpenAI

Altman told The Vergethat the whole ousting situation "sucked," but despite his bitter feelings, he went back.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

Sam Altman returned to OpenAI despite the coup. Credit: Getty Images/Joel Saget

"I really loved the company and had poured my life force into this for the last four and a half years full time, but really longer than that with most of my time. And we're making such great progress on the mission I care so much about, the mission of safe and beneficial [artificial general intelligence]," he said.

In other words, when Altman deliberated whether he should return, concern about OpenAI's impact outweighed the slighted part of him that may have wanted to turn his back on the AI company.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Did Altman answer the million-dollar question?

There's one question we all want to know. Why did OpenAI's board of directors abruptly oust Altman? Yes, according to an internal note seen by Reuters, there was some sort of "breakdown of communications," but that is nebulous and doesn't reveal much.

Unfortunately, despite The Verge's efforts to squeeze out some clarity out of Altman, the OpenAI CEO remained hush hush.

"The board is going to do an independent review here. I very much welcome that. " Altman said after The Verge asked his thoughts on why he was fired. "I don't have much else to say now, but I'm looking forward to learning more."

Altman was also asked to expound on an X post that said, "It is clear that there were real misunderstandings between me and members of the board." In response, Altman said, "I'm not ready to go talk about that yet. I think it's very important to let this review process run."

"The review process" Altman is referring to is the independent investigation OpenAI's new board is conducting to understand what went awry.

Although OpenAI endured major upheaval over the past few weeks, the company ironically benefitted from it, according to Altman.

"Definitely we have come through with this a stronger and more unified and focused and committed team," he said. "I thought we had great conviction and focus before, and now, I think we have way, way, way, more. So that's my silver lining to all of this."

Topics OpenAI

• Digital Culture
• Deals
• Entertainment
• Life
• Tech
• Games
• Shopping
• Science

• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 14
• The 'Riverdale' cameo on 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' makes zero sense
• Volkswagen Intel team up for Israel's first self
• Olympic event has to be restarted twice, random official becomes meme
• Instagram tests Storylines, a collaborative twist on Stories
• Waze isn't just a navigation app, it's now an audio player
• Pharrell Williams sends Trump legal threat for playing 'Happy' after synagogue shooting
• Waze isn't just a navigation app, it's now an audio player
• How to Reboot and Reset Android Devices
• Apple reveals new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pros

• Cry of the Week: Alas, poor Jar Jar! We weep for Star Wars' most hated character
• Patriots fans should be terrified after Tom Brady's latest Instagram
• How can Uber overcome the sexism in its company culture?
• Brits told to eat 10 fruit and veg a day, Twitter goes into utter meltdown
• 'Bake Off' fans can breathe a sigh of relief, Nadiya is getting a cooking show
• These people dancing during a traffic jam is straight out of a scene from 'La La Land'
• Sony invents mobile image sensor with 960 fps slow motion recording
• Artist locks himself inside a rock for a week, and tries to hatch eggs with his body warmth
• Please: You can come out as gay, you can't 'come out' as conservative
• Google to launch a desktop version of Allo messenger

• Meta continues its submission to Trump with new advisor on its board
• Police trial of Amazon facial recognition tech doesn't seem to be going very well
• Astronauts in space are getting into the Halloween spirit
• Apple reveals new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pros
• Best Samsung Frame deal: Free Music Frame with Frame Pro art TV purchase
• Sony reveals the 20 iconic games coming with the PlayStation Classic
• This Reese's machine lets you exchange your trash Halloween candy for peanut butter cups
• 'Reigns: Game of Thrones' game seems to suggest big things for Gendry
• Apple iPhone 17 Pro leaks highlight major new design change
• The OnePlus 6T is coming to T

• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for April 29, 2025
• Justin Bieber will probably return to Instagram, if he's anything like other celebs
• Beyoncé came to slay with her iconic 'Phoni Braxton' Halloween costume
• 'Diablo 3' brings delightful despair to the Nintendo Switch
• Reality Distortion Field: 10 Things Apple Won't Directly Say But We'll Infer About the iPhone X
• Balloon fanatic Tim Kaine is also, of course, very good at harmonica
• If Hillary Clinton had her own 'Nancy Drew' book series
• Game of Thrones prequel casts Naomi Watts as a socialite with a secret
• Best Samsung Frame deal: Free Music Frame with Frame Pro art TV purchase
• Uber's new Ride Pass lets you pay a monthly fee for discounted rides