![\"Satya](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/159B1\/production\/_131779488_mediaitem131779487.jpg.webp)
<\/picture><\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nMicrosoft boss Satya Nadella has called for changes to OpenAI’s board after its shock firing of Sam Altman.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n He told CNBC “something has to change” at the firm, but did not specify what that was, or rule out the tech giant getting a seat on the board.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Microsoft is OpenAI’s biggest investor by far, and has now also recruited Mr Altman to lead a new artificial intelligence (AI) team.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n But its strong links to OpenAI do not currently extend to its boardroom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “At this point, I think it’s very, very clear that something has to change around the governance,” said Mr Nadella.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “We’ll have a good dialogue with their board on that.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Microsoft chief executive’s calm demeanour in a round of media interviews is in contrast to the tumult at OpenAI itself, where staff are in open revolt at Mr Altman’s departure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n They have demanded he returns and the board is fired – but exactly what is happening with the company’s former chief executive is still unclear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In a dizzying series of events over the weekend, Mr Altman seemed to be about to return to OpenAI – before Microsoft swooped to hire him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n On Monday, Mr Nadella wrote on X that Mr Altman would be leading “a new advanced AI research team”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Mr Altman responded positively at the time, saying “the mission continues”, but later became more cryptic when he said “we are all going to work together some way or other.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Now there are questions about whether he will actually join Microsoft after all, as almost every staff member at his former employer is grouping together to demand he and co-founder Greg Brockman be reinstated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Evan Morikawa, an engagement manager at OpenAI, has claimed that 743 out of 770 employees at OpenAI have signed a letter calling on the board to resign – with staff themselves threatening to leave if their demands are not met.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n They claim that Microsoft has told them there are jobs for all OpenAI staff if they want to join the company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n And Mr Nadella seemed to admit to CNBC that Mr Altman might not be joining, saying he was “committed to OpenAI and Sam, irrespective of what configuration”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so I’m open to both options,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In the middle of all of this is Emmett Shear, the former head of Twitch who has been named the new interim head of OpenAI after Mr Altman’s unceremonious exit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The pair crossed paths years ago when they were involved with start-up investment programme Y Combinator – with a viral photo of them as part of a group spreading on social media.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Shear moment<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n