Former OpenAI CTO Testifies Altman Sowed ‘Chaos’ Among Executives

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI’s former chief technology officer testified Tuesday that CEO Sam Altman created “chaos” and fostered distrust among the company’s top executives, according to Reuters.

The testimony offers an insider account of leadership tensions at the San Francisco-based AI company, which launched ChatGPT in late 2022.

The former technology chief’s statements came as part of the federal trial brought by Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, who has alleged that Altman and the company betrayed its founding nonprofit mission by pursuing a for-profit structure, according to Reuters.

The witness described an environment in which Altman’s management style undermined confidence among senior leaders at the organization, the report said.

OpenAI has seen executive departures in recent years. The company’s board briefly ousted Altman as CEO in November 2023 before reinstating him days later following an employee revolt and investor pressure. Several senior leaders, including former CTO Mira Murati, have since departed the company.

The trial centers on Musk’s claims that OpenAI has strayed from its original charter as a nonprofit research laboratory dedicated to developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. OpenAI has been pursuing a conversion to a for-profit corporate structure, a move that has drawn criticism from some former insiders and AI safety advocates.

OpenAI has denied Musk’s allegations, arguing that the organizational changes are necessary to secure the capital required to pursue its mission of building safe artificial general intelligence.

The trial’s outcome could have implications for AI industry governance, the enforceability of nonprofit commitments in the technology sector, and investor confidence in OpenAI, which has been valued at more than $300 billion in recent funding rounds.

The case continues in federal court.