Ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman plans new AI venture: Report

SAN FRANCISCO: Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, has reportedly told investors he is planning to launch a new artificial intelligence (AI) venture. On Sunday, he posted on X that "I love the OpenAI team so much".

Former OpenAI Co-founder and president Greg Brockman (who also resigned from the company following Altman's sacking) is also likely to join the effort and the project is still in development, reports The Information.

“The exact nature of the venture wasn’t immediately known. More details, meanwhile, have also emerged about Altman’s broader ambitions in developing AI,” the report said late on Saturday.

He has apparently been in talks with semiconductor executives, including chip designer Arm.

“The effort would likely take years. It couldn’t be learned whether Altman was representing OpenAI or a separate venture in the discussions,” the report noted.

Reports surfaced in September that former chief Apple designer Jony Ive and Altman are considering launching an AI hardware device together, which will be first-of-its-kind if materialised.

Ive who is the renowned designer of the iPhone is reportedly in talks with Altman about an AI hardware project.

“SoftBank CEO and investor Masayoshi Son has talked to both about the idea,” The Information had reported, citing people aware of the matter.

OpenAI’s hardware efforts are, however, in the very earliest stages.

OpenAI once had a robotics research division but it was disbanded in July 2021 after encountering technical roadblocks.