Inside the Battle for OpenAI’s Soul
In this Bloomberg Originals mini-documentary, we expose the hidden tensions that led to Sam Altman’s firing—and his triumphant return.
Microsoft Corp. has sunk $13 billion into OpenAI and was a critical player in the drama around Sam Altman’s firing and rehiring.
Photographer: Bloomberg Daybreak/Getty ImagesWhat if Apple had waited until 2008 to fire Steve Jobs, a year after he unveiled the very first iPhone? That’s the comparison making the rounds when it comes to the sudden termination of Sam Altman, chief executive of artificial intelligence pioneer OpenAI Inc.
The release almost exactly a year ago of OpenAI’s ChatGPT sounded the starting gun for generative AI. Since then, Altman has become the face of an industry that may transform the world. So when on Nov. 17 OpenAI’s board fired him, all hell broke loose. In the mini-documentary Inside the Battle for OpenAI’s Soul, Bloomberg Originals exposes the hidden tensions that led to Altman’s ouster—and his triumphant return.