OpenAI, the organization behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT, made a shocking announcement on Friday that its CEO and founder, Sam Altman, has been fired and will be leaving the company immediately. The decision came after an internal investigation revealed that Altman had not been consistently honest with the board.

In a statement, OpenAI stated, "Mr. Altman's departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI."

Altman, who helped establish OpenAI as a non-profit research laboratory in 2015, had recently become the public face of the company due to the immense popularity of ChatGPT. This AI-powered chatbot had captured the attention of millions and became a household name overnight. Altman's role as CEO thrust him into the global spotlight, and he took part in a CEO summit at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation conference in San Francisco just the day before his termination.

During the conference, Altman discussed the potential of AI, stating that it could prove to be "the greatest leap forward of any of the big technological revolutions we've had so far." However, he also acknowledged the existential threat that rapid advancements in computing posed to humanity and emphasized the importance of implementing safeguards.

Altman expressed his gratitude for his time at OpenAI in a social media post following the announcement. "I loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. Most of all, I loved working with such talented people. (I) will have more to say about what's next later."

OpenAI wasted no time in naming Mira Murati, the company's chief technology officer, as the interim CEO until a permanent successor is found. Murati, who already holds a key role within the organization, will now be responsible for guiding OpenAI through this transitional period.

The news of Altman's termination comes shortly after OpenAI's first developer conference in San Francisco, where Altman played a prominent role as the master of ceremonies. During the event, he unveiled several updates to the artificial intelligence tools, including the ability for developers to create custom versions of ChatGPT. Altman also revealed that approximately 2 million developers and 90% of Fortune 500 companies are currently using OpenAI's tools, demonstrating the widespread adoption of the technology.

ChatGPT's immense success has led to its integration into various platforms. Microsoft, for example, has incorporated the generative AI technology into its search engine and other tools. Google has also developed its own competitor called "Bard," and several other generative AI tools have emerged in recent months.

The impact of Altman's departure on the future direction of OpenAI remains uncertain. However, given the company's influential position within the AI industry and the prominence of ChatGPT, the consequences of this development are likely to reverberate throughout the tech community. This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.