Solve people problems slowly. Governance is critical for the new OpenAI board.
In the latest leadership transition at OpenAI, Sam Altman resumed his role as CEO, while Mira Murati returned as CTO. The new initial board includes Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. Altman expresses gratitude for the dedication and resilience shown by the OpenAI team during a challenging and unprecedented period, highlighting the company's strong probability of success in achieving its mission. He acknowledges key contributions from various individuals, including Ilya Sutskever, Adam, Tasha, and Helen, for their roles in reaching this solution. Altman also commends the leadership team for their readiness to manage the company, indicating a well-prepared succession plan.
Altman outlines three immediate priorities for OpenAI:
- Advancing research and safety efforts,
- Improving and deploying products to let people experience and shape AI and
- Building out a board with diverse perspectives to enhance OpenAI's governance.
More than diverse perspectives, a robust governance process is critical; it is often underserved on boards. Why? Boards may prioritize immediate financial or operational issues over long-term governance structures. Secondly, there needs to be more expertise in governance matters within boards. Strong-willed activist shareholders often garner seats, which can benefit them, but it depends on their motivations and expertise.
Thirdly, governance issues can be complex and require significant time and effort to address, which can be challenging in the face of other pressing business matters. These become people's issues that must be solved slowly.
Finally, there can be resistance to change, especially if it involves stringent oversight or limits on executive power, which can be perceived as limiting strategic or operational flexibility. In my experience, balancing immediate business needs with robust governance's long-term stability and ethical integrity is crucial for sustainable success.
What is your experience with board governance, and where would you take OpenAI’s board? More to come.
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