The aftermath of the recent CEO drama at OpenAI has left Chief Scientist and Co-founder Ilya Sutskever in an awkward position, with suggestions from Elon Musk that he should consider joining Tesla or xAI. Last month, Sutskever and other OpenAI board members ousted CEO Sam Altman, only to see Altman quickly reinstated with strong support from employees and investors, leading to a restructuring of the board.
According to a recent Business Insider report, Sutskever has seemingly become “invisible” at OpenAI, prompting discussions about his future. When a user on the X platform suggested that Sutskever should join Tesla, Musk responded with “or xAI.”
Elon Musk, who played a pivotal role in starting and funding OpenAI in 2015, has a history with Sutskever, whom he successfully recruited from Google to join OpenAI. Musk left the OpenAI board in 2018 after a power struggle and voiced concerns about the organization’s partnership with Microsoft, which is currently under scrutiny by antitrust authorities in the UK.
Musk’s interest in xAI, a project started in March, and the recent launch of Grok, an AI chatbot competing with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, adds complexity to the situation. Musk’s suggestion that Sutskever consider joining Tesla or xAI reflects the evolving dynamics in the AI industry and the ongoing talent war.
Sutskever’s involvement in the firing of Altman has been a focal point of discussions, with Musk expressing concerns and emphasizing the need for transparency regarding the reasons behind such drastic actions. The potential departure of Sutskever from OpenAI would mark a significant development in the ongoing competition for top AI talent, especially considering his critical role in the success of OpenAI since its inception.
