What’s been going on at the company behind ChatGPT – and why it matters

OpenAI has been at the centre of a Silicon Valley corporate drama since the recent sacking of CEO Sam Altman

• OpenAI staff threaten to quit en masse unless Sam Altman is reinstated
• Sam Altman’s OpenAI exit leads to rollercoaster for sector

The firing of Sam Altman as chief executive of OpenAI on Friday took the tech world by surprise and has triggered a Silicon Valley corporate drama.

Altman is not just the CEO of the company behind the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot. He is also the figurehead of a revolution in AI that has enthralled the public and investors but also alarmed industry insiders and experts.