In a shocking turn of events, Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI, is returning to the company that fired him last week. OpenAI, the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence firm, announced on Tuesday that they have reached an agreement in principle for Altman to resume his role as CEO. The new board of directors, which includes former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor, and Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, will oversee Altman's return. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest investor, wasted no time in hiring Altman and another co-founder and former president, Greg Brockman, who had resigned in protest after Altman's removal.

This unexpected turn of events was prompted by a weekend of internal conflict at OpenAI, as well as growing pressure from the startup's investors. Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer, Kevin Scott, assured OpenAI employees that they would have a role at Microsoft if needed. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed his openness to Altman's return to OpenAI, under the condition that the startup's governance and board issues are resolved.

Altman, who co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit with the mission of building safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence, expressed his excitement to return to the company and build on the strong partnership with Microsoft. It remains uncertain whether the board's structure will change with the new appointees.

The return of Altman and Brockman was met with relief by the majority of OpenAI's employees, who had threatened to quit and work for Microsoft if the board did not resign and Altman and Brockman were not reinstated. The employees signed a letter calling for the board's resignation and Altman's return. Following the agreement for Altman's return, interim CEO Emmett Shear expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and stated that he was pleased to have been part of the solution.

The new board of directors features Larry Summers, a renowned economics heavyweight who previously served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary during President Clinton's administration. OpenAI described the deal as an agreement "in principle," with further details yet to be determined. The not-for-profit board, which operates differently from conventional boards, aims to ensure the safe and beneficial development of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.

Altman's dismissal from OpenAI last Friday raised questions about the reasons behind the decision. The previous board had accused Altman of not being consistently candid in his communications. However, in a letter to the board, employees requested specific evidence to support the allegations but received no response. Interim CEO Emmett Shear clarified that Altman's removal was not due to any specific disagreement on safety.

Altman's return to OpenAI marks a significant development in the ongoing saga that has captivated the artificial intelligence industry. With the support of Microsoft and a new board in place, Altman is set to lead OpenAI once again, working towards the organization's mission of creating advanced artificial intelligence that benefits humanity.