Artificial: Episode 4, Behind Sam Altman’s Firing

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Business News, News, Daily News

4.2 • 5.8K Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2024

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When the OpenAI board ousted CEO Sam Altman last November, very few people knew exactly what was behind it. In the final episode of our series, we reveal what led to Altman’s firing and explain why he was able to get his job back just days later. Plus, an exclusive interview with one of the people who fired him. Further Reading: - Sam Altman’s Knack for Dodging Bullets—With a Little Help From Bigshot Friends - Behind the Scenes of Sam Altman’s Showdown at OpenAI Further Listening: - Artificial: Episode 1, The Dream - Artificial: Episode 2, Selling Out - Artificial: Episode 3, Chat GPT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Kate. This is the final episode in our series Artificial, the Open AI story.
0:08.0	If you haven't heard the previous episodes, go back and listen to them.
0:12.0	They're in your feed and they're also linked in the show notes. There was one day last year that Wall Street Journal Tech reporters won't forget.
0:34.0	Where were you when you found out that Sam Altman got fired?
0:38.0	I was on my way to grab a sandwich from my local deli.
0:43.3	I was deep in the woods leading my daughter's Girl Scout troop.
0:48.2	I mean, I was in the foyer of my house
0:51.5	and my dad texted it to me and I said what like I didn't believe what I was reading
0:57.6	And I was like you shouldn't people shouldn't make jokes like that like that's not funny
1:01.7	So the very first thing I'm thinking is, okay,
1:05.1	what crime did he commit?
1:07.2	Like what, where's the body?
1:10.5	Did you get the sandwich? No, I did not.
1:14.0	What one word you would use to describe that weekend?
1:19.0	A circus.
1:21.0	Extremely hectic.
1:22.0	The first word that popped into my mind I can't even say. Say, I don't think.
1:26.0	Bat shit was batsh. The whole thing was so crazy.
1:45.0	The firing of Sam Altman sent the tech world into chaos. Everyone was asking the same questions.
1:48.0	Why had the AI Superstar been dumped from the company he'd co-founded and built?
1:55.0	And then days later, why was he able to muscle his way back into his job?
2:01.0	Now, we have some answers. From the journal, this is artificial, the open AI story.
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