"Universal AI Risk" Letter Received by Board... Decisive in Altman Ouster

Background of Dismissal of Research Team Including Mira Murati Letter

It has been revealed that before Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, was dismissed, researchers including Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), sent a letter to the board warning about the discovery of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) at a level similar to humans.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 22nd (local time), major foreign media outlets reported, citing sources, that the decisive reason behind the board's decision to dismiss Altman was this letter.

According to sources, the researchers pointed out the capabilities and potential risks of AI in the letter sent to the board. However, the media did not disclose the specific risks and safety concerns mentioned.

Murati also confirmed to employees the previous day that she referred to a project called "Q*" and that the related letter was sent to the board before Altman's dismissal last weekend.

Currently, OpenAI is internally judging that progress has been made on Q*. Some view Q* as a breakthrough in the development of AGI, known as AI smarter than humans. Although Q* currently remains at an elementary school level, the new model was able to solve specific math problems based on vast computing resources, and through this, researchers are known to be very optimistic about Q*'s success.

Earlier, on the 17th, when the OpenAI board dismissed Altman, the industry analyzed that conflicts over the pace of AI development led to Altman's ousting. The board's coup, driven by concerns over AI risks, ended in a "five-day reign" when Altman returned to the CEO position the day before.