In a whirlwind of events, OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, was fired, causing a staff revolt and threatening resignations. Microsoft swooped in, hiring Sam and the company's president, Greg Brockman, to build a new AI research team. However, Sam and Greg are no longer on the board. Three board members who voted to fire Sam have agreed to step down, and two replacements have been named, including Brett Taylor and Larry Summers. Microsoft will have a non-voting observer seat on the board. There are still vacancies and an independent investigation will uncover the reasons behind Sam's dismissal.
Warning: This episode contains some explicit language.
The drama at OpenAI is not over. Kevin and Casey take stock of new information they’ve gathered since last week, and look at how other artificial intelligence companies are trying to capitalize on the debacle. Then, why people are still buying cryptocurrency even after Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, and its founder pleaded guilty to money laundering violations. And finally, three ways A.I. is ruining web search. Or is it?
Today’s guest: David Yaffe-Bellany covers crypto for The New York Times.
Additional Reading:
Casey has new details from the OpenAI board fight.
Changpeng Zhao, the Binance founder, agreed to pay a $50 million fine and step down from his role as chief executive.