After a tumultuous period, Sam Altman is officially back as the CEO of OpenAI. Altman shared the news in an internal letter circulated at OpenAI and later published on the OpenAI blog. The letter also announced the return of Mira Murati to her role as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), reversing her brief appointment as interim CEO by the previous board.

The new board comprises Bret Taylor, the former co-CEO of Salesforce; D’Angelo, CEO of Quora and a member of the previous board; and Larry Summers, an economist and political appointee. Notably, Microsoft will have representation on the board in the form of a non-voting observer. Microsoft holds a significant 49% stake in the for-profit OpenAI entity, which is controlled by a nonprofit belonging to the board.

Altman expressed his excitement about the future and gratitude for the resilience demonstrated by the OpenAI team during a challenging period. The letter outlines OpenAI’s priorities moving forward, emphasizing the advancement of research plans and increased investment in AI safety efforts. Altman also pledged to build a board with diverse perspectives, make unspecified improvements to OpenAI’s governance structure, and initiate an independent review of recent events.

Altman concluded by emphasizing OpenAI’s commitment to ensuring people can experience the benefits of AI and shape its development, with a focus on delivering great products. The collaborative efforts of OpenAI leadership will be instrumental in realizing these goals.