This week’s Cyber Pulse Mid-Week Briefings cover Australia’s new Cyber Security Bill, rising ransomware claims, Zscaler's AI-driven platform growth, and cyber threats from East Asia, including Chinese influence operations, North Korean tech theft, and costly global data breach claims.
Visa boosts AI fraud detection with Featurespace acquisition, lifting its stock; Experian expands Latin American security by acquiring ClearSale; Booz Allen shares cyber expertise at Singapore International Cyber Week; Torq secures $70M for global growth; SentinelOne and Okta shine in top awards.
With OpenAI’s shift to a $157 billion for-profit model, CEO Sam Altman maintains its mission to "benefit humanity." However, as investors seek high returns and Altman stands to gain equity, doubts arise over who truly benefits from OpenAI’s growth—society or its shareholders?
Mass Exodus Looms as OpenAI Staff Rally Behind Sam Altman, Eyeing Microsoft Move
Over 700 OpenAI employees demand CEO Sam Altman's reinstatement, threatening to join Microsoft. The crisis exposes deep internal unrest, with staff declaring, "OpenAI is nothing without its people," challenging the board's leadership.
OpenAI Saga Series: Navigating Corporate Turmoil and Uncertainty
In a significant development that has sent ripples through the artificial intelligence industry, OpenAI faces a substantial crisis as a vast majority of its employees have threatened to leave the company. This mass discontent among the workforce stems from the ousting of former CEO Sam Altman, leading to a potential exodus of talent to Microsoft. This situation underscores a deep-seated unrest within the company's ranks, challenging the stability of one of Silicon Valley's most promising AI ventures.
The board's statement on Friday bluntly stated that new leadership was "necessary" for the company's future endeavours. Altman's removal from both his executive role and the company board underscores the seriousness of the board's concerns.
The crux of this unrest lies in the employees' demand for the resignation of the current board and the reinstatement of Altman as CEO.
Over 700 employees, including Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's chief scientist and a board member, have signed a letter conveying their lack of confidence in the current leadership.
The letter explicitly states, "Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI. We are unable to work for or with people that lack competence, judgement, and care for our mission and employees."
This collective stance brings to light significant internal strife and questions the board's decision-making and leadership capabilities.
“Everyone thinks you can hire someone to do this." "That fails 100% of the time."
Altman and Brockman showed their support by sharing Sutskever’s post with affectionate heart emojis, while onlookers observed the unfolding drama within the Silicon Valley boardroom with amazement.
The sentiments of OpenAI employees were openly expressed online, where a significant number rallied behind Altman, declaring,
“OpenAI is nothing without its people.”
In a development shared by Brockman on X, three prominent researchers who departed OpenAI following Altman's dismissal have decided to move to Microsoft. These include former research director Jakub Pachocki, ex-head of preparedness Aleksander Madry, and past researcher Szymon Sidor.
With OpenAI’s shift to a $157 billion for-profit model, CEO Sam Altman maintains its mission to "benefit humanity." However, as investors seek high returns and Altman stands to gain equity, doubts arise over who truly benefits from OpenAI’s growth—society or its shareholders?
Google is investing $1 billion in Thailand to expand AI and cloud infrastructure, while Meta is setting up manufacturing for its Quest 3S in Vietnam. Both moves position Southeast Asia as a key player in the global AI arms race, with tech giants racing to dominate the region’s digital economy.
Sam Altman’s essay The Intelligence Age predicts superintelligence emerging within years, sparking debates on AI’s potential. While Altman envisions AI driving global prosperity, critics argue that it could worsen inequality. The race for AI dominance raises questions of access and ethics.