What OpenAI’s Leadership Team Is Missing

A rare piece of OpenAI personnel news: a leader coming back to the company rather than leaving.

Senior leaders expect Greg Brockman, co-founder and president, to return to OpenAI in the next month or so, following a sabbatical that started in August. While Brockman had said he would return at the end of the year, his decision to take a break had sparked speculation that he might not return. 

And as Amir and I reported in a Friday article about Brockman’s leadership style and his close relationship with important OpenAI customers, it’s not a given that Brockman and CEO Sam Altman will avoid conflict once they’re working together again. While Brockman is seen as one of the company’s most skilled technologists, Altman had taken direct oversight of the technical teams in Brockman’s absence and after some other executive departures.

Throughout the reporting of the Friday story, a question kept nagging me: How can OpenAI fix its leadership turnover problem?