Sam Altman joins Microsoft after sudden sacking from OpenAI

• Altman to lead new advanced AI research team at Microsoft.
• Negotiations with OpenAI’s board failed to bring Altman back as CEO.
• Ex-Twitch CEO Emmett Shear named interim CEO of OpenAI.

Microsoft has announced that it is hiring Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, and co-founder Greg Brockman after a major reshuffling in the AI company last Friday. 

Altman was sacked by the company amid the board's concerns about his leadership abilities while Brockman stepped down from the board as chairman as part of the management shuffle. 

Brockman stepped down from the board as chairman as part of the management shuffle, and announced on Friday he quit the company following Altman's sacking.

Despite negotiations over the weekend to potentially bring Altman back to OpenAI, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that both Altman and Brockman will be joining the company's new advanced AI research team, The Verge reported.

This move marks another significant step for Microsoft in its pursuit of cutting-edge AI technologies and talent.

"We’re extremely excited to share the news that Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, together with colleagues, will be joining Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team," says Nadella.

"We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success."

Altman’s Microsoft hiring comes just hours after negotiations with OpenAI’s board failed to bring him back as OpenAI CEO as the company's four-person board refused to step down and let him return.

Instead, former Twitch CEO and co-founder Emmett Shear was named as interim CEO of the company, taking over from Mira Murati, who was named interim OpenAI CEO following Altman's sudden sacking firing on Friday.

Although OpenAI has not officially announced Shear's employment, it is likely to do so soon given Microsoft's recent hiring of Altman.

Altman and Brockman joined executives at the company's San Francisco headquarters on Sunday after Murati told staff she invited them, The Information reported earlier on Sunday.

Altman discussed a possible return to the company behind the ChatGPT bot and improving the company's governance structure, even as he considers launching a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Reuters reported on Sunday.

Altman posted on Sunday on messaging platform X an image of himself wearing an OpenAI guest badge with the caption: "First and last time I ever wear one of these."

Altman's sacking angered current and former employees and worried them over how an upcoming $86 billion share sale could be affected by the sudden management upheaval.

OpenAI's former president and co-founder, Brockman also arrived at the office on Sunday, The Information reported.

Before the announcement of Altman and Brockman's hiring by Microsoft, The Information had reported that if Altman returned to OpenAI, Microsoft, its biggest backer, was considering taking a role on the board.

Microsoft could either take a seat on OpenAI's board of directors or as a board observer without voting power, the report added earlier.