--- title: "OpenAI Ponders How to Crush Staff Revolt" description: "OpenAI VP of global affairs Anna Makanju tried to calm angry staff in an internal memo, telling them they were in \"intense discussions.\"" date: "2023-11-21" modified: "2023-11-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-ponders-crush-staff-revolt" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "agi" - "OpenAI" - "sam altman" - "the digest" --- # OpenAI Ponders How to Crush Staff Revolt ![OpenAI VP of global affairs Anna Makanju tried to calm angry staff in an internal memo, telling them they were in "intense discussions."]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Open Mutiny Until Friday, ChatGPT creator OpenAI was the indisputable leader in the nascent space. Then, the entire thing descended into chaos. All hell broke loose when OpenAI's governing nonprofit board [fired CEO Sam Altman](), leading the vast majority of employees to actively revolt, voicing their discontent on X-formerly-Twitter [in the form of heart emojis]() in support of their fallen chief executive this week. More than 700 of the startup's 770 employees have now signed a letter threatening to throw in the towel and follow Altman out the door, who was [offered an olive branch]() and a chance to start over by OpenAI's major stakeholder Microsoft. Now, OpenAI's remaining leadership are desperately trying to pick up the pieces and stop OpenAI from losing what essentially amounts to all of its talent, [*Bloomberg* reports](). OpenAI VP of global affairs Anna Makanju tried to calm angry staff in an internal memo, telling them they were in "intense discussions" to stop the crisis from deepening — but given the sheer amount of chaos, it's hard to imagine OpenAI getting out of this unscathed. ## Deep Breaths To be clear, absolutely none of this has been resolved and the fate of OpenAI is still a big unknown. Even Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella left the possibility of Altman returning to OpenAI on the table during a Monday [evening appearance on *CNBC*](). In her memo, Makanju admitted that we'll likely have to wait until we hear from OpenAI's board about its final decision, something that could very much determine the future of the company. Essentially, she urged a slowdown of a situation that quickly spiraled out of control over the last couple of days, complete with heated rhetoric about [ saving humanity]() from an [existential threat](). "We are continuing to go over mutually acceptable options and are scheduled to speak again tomorrow morning when everyone’s had a little more sleep," Makanju wrote. "These intense discussions can drag out, and I know it can feel impossible to be patient," she added. **More on the situation:** *[Sam Altman Seems to Imply That OpenAI Is Building God]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()