Inside the Deposition That Showed How OpenAI Nearly Destroyed Itself
A recent deposition from OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever reveals the organization's internal turmoil and governance failures surrounding the firing of CEO Sam Altman. Sutskever testified for nearly 10 hours, outlining how he prepared a detailed case against Altman based largely on unverified information from CTO Mira Murati. He acknowledged having planned Altman's removal for at least a year, waiting for favorable board dynamics. The potential merger with competitor Anthropic was discussed shortly after Altman's departure, signaling the precarious position of OpenAI. Board member Helen Toner controversially suggested that destroying OpenAI could align with its safety mission amid ideological divides regarding rapid AI development. Sutskever admitted that the board's decisions were rushed and reflected inexperience. Over half of OpenAI's employees signed a letter demanding Altman's return, surprising many executives, including Sutskever, who underestimated workforce loyalty.
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