Sam Altman at OpenAI's November developers' day conference. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
An overwhelming majority of OpenAI's 700-plus employees have signed an open letter urging OpenAI's board to resign after the ouster of ex-CEO Sam Altman.
Why it matters: The employees threatened to move to the new Microsoft research unit that Altman will build: "We will take this step imminently, unless all current board members resign."
The latest: By midday Monday letter organizers said the number of employees who'd signed the letter had grown to more than 700, which would account for the vast majority of the company's workforce.
What they're saying: "We are unable to work for or with people that lack competence, judgement and care for our mission and employees," the letter states.
- The employees are calling for the board to appoint "two new lead independent directors, such as Bret Taylor and Will Hurd" and reinstate Altman and ex-president Greg Brockman.
Between the lines: OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who led the board's rebellion to force out Altman, now says he "deeply regret[s] my participation in the board's actions."
- "I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company," Sutskever wrote in a message on X, formerly Twitter.
Editor's note: This story was updated with a copy of the letter and the latest number of employees signing the letter.