Africa-Press – Ghana. Despite increasing regulatory scrutiny, Microsoft and Apple have withdrawn from their positions on OpenAI’s board.
Microsoft relinquished its observer seat less than eight months after securing it, and Apple has reportedly abandoned plans to join the non-profit board, according to Financial Times reports.
OpenAI confirmed Microsoft’s decision in a statement to The Verge, following a letter from Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, Keith Dolliver, sent late Tuesday, as Axios and the Financial Times reported.
Steve Sharpe, a representative for OpenAI, expressed gratitude to Microsoft for its support while stating, “We’re developing a new strategy for engaging key strategic partners like Apple and Microsoft, as well as investors such as Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures, under the guidance of CFO Sarah Friar.”
The revised strategy includes regular stakeholder meetings to enhance collaboration on safety and security across OpenAI’s initiatives.
The changes in OpenAI’s board come amid growing antitrust concerns related to Microsoft’s collaboration with the organization. Following CEO Sam Altman’s temporary removal and reinstatement, UK regulators began seeking feedback on Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI in December. European Union officials are also scrutinizing the relationship and other significant AI transactions involving Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
Microsoft’s significant investment of over $10 billion in OpenAI solidified its position as the company’s exclusive cloud partner. All of OpenAI’s operations, from research to API services and product development, are powered by Microsoft’s cloud services. This collaboration has bolstered Microsoft’s competitive edge in the AI sector, integrating OpenAI’s models into various Microsoft products and services like Copilot and Bing search engine.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
