In a shocking turn of events, Sam Altman will not be returning as the CEO of OpenAI, according to a statement by board director Ilya Sutskever reported by The Information. Instead, Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, will step in as the interim CEO. Shear, who co-founded Twitch and recently left the Amazon-owned live video streaming platform, will take over the reins of OpenAI. However, OpenAI has yet to respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

Altman's potential return to the company has been a topic of discussion among executives, but it seems that those efforts were unsuccessful. The details surrounding Altman's departure remain unclear, as the report did not provide further information. Reuters has also been unable to verify the statement cited by The Information.

Altman, along with former OpenAI President Greg Brockman, visited the company's San Francisco headquarters on Sunday following the firing of Altman by the board. It was reported by The Information that Altman and Brockman were invited by interim CEO Mira Murati. Altman's focus during these discussions is said to be centered around the ChatGPT bot and improving the company's governance structure. Additionally, there are rumors that Altman is considering launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture.

The firing of Altman, who has been considered the human face of generative AI, has sent shockwaves throughout the tech industry. Altman himself expressed his feelings about the situation by posting a photo of himself wearing an OpenAI guest badge on messaging platform X, with the caption: "first and last time I ever wear one of these."

Meanwhile, Greg Brockman, who is a co-founder of OpenAI and played a pivotal role in the development of ChatGPT, announced his resignation from the company. He shared his decision on X, stating that he was "super proud" of the work they had accomplished together. He also expressed his support for Altman, saying that he was "shocked and saddened by what the board did today." Brockman will be stepping down from the board as chairman but will retain his role at OpenAI.

OpenAI has appointed Mira Murati, the current chief technology officer, as the interim CEO to replace Altman. The company cited a "deliberative review process" by the board as the reason for Altman's removal, stating that he was not consistently candid in his communications with them. The details surrounding Altman's dismissal were provided by Brockman, who revealed that Altman received a message from co-founder Ilya Sutskever the night before, leading to a virtual meeting with board members where he was informed of his termination.

The sudden management upheaval at OpenAI has sparked concern among employees, both current and former, as well as raising questions about the impact on an upcoming $86 billion share sale. Altman's firing has led some shell-shocked employees to contemplate quitting if he is not reinstated by the end of the weekend. Others have shown support for joining Altman in his new venture or starting a company of their own.

The departure of Altman and the uncertainty surrounding OpenAI have also led to researchers, including Szymon Sidor, quitting the company. It remains unclear if these researchers will join Altman's new venture. Altman has been in discussions with Jony Ive, Apple's former design chief, about developing a new AI hardware device, according to reports. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is said to have been involved in these conversations as well.

While Altman's removal was due to a breakdown in communication rather than malfeasance, according to COO Brad Lightcap, there are ongoing discussions within the OpenAI board about the possibility of his return as CEO. Investors are also reportedly plotting to reinstate Altman as CEO, as reported by Forbes.

OpenAI's decision to part ways with Altman has created a major upheaval within the company and the wider tech industry. The future of OpenAI, as well as the potential new ventures and projects led by Altman, remains uncertain. Only time will tell how this leadership shakeup will impact the world of generative AI and the broader field of artificial intelligence.