OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been accused of creating a "toxic culture of lying" and committing "psychological abuse" at the ChatGPT maker. 

Two former board members who helped in removing Altman from the OpenAI board in November said they "stand by" the decision to fire him. 

Former OpenAI Board Members Rip Sam Altman's Leadership

Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, who quit the board following the failed mutiny, claimed Altman's "long-standing patterns" of behavior had "undermined the board's oversight of key decisions and internal safety protocols".

In a story for The Economist, the former board members claimed to have received warnings from top personnel about Altman's behavior.

According to the allegations, Altman "cultivated 'a toxic culture of lying'" and participated in "behaviour [that] can be characterised as psychological abuse".

Their views came only days after the resignation of Ilya Sutskever, one of OpenAI's co-founders who first supported the coup against Altman before switching sides and campaigning for his return.

OpenAI is the firm behind ChatGPT, a sophisticated AI chatbot with the stated goal of developing ever more powerful AI robots.

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Board: AI Companies Must Not Govern Themselves

Its board was formed to keep an eye on the company's progress in order to produce secure artificial intelligence solutions. Some AI specialists, including Altman, have cautioned about the potentially devastating repercussions of unchecked AI.

Altman has attempted to establish OpenAI as a pioneer in the safe development of technology. Last week, the corporation signed an industry pact not to build AI that might pose "intolerable risks" to society.

However, Toner and McCauley noted "developments since Altman returned to the company - including his reinstatement to the board and the departure of senior safety-focused talent - bode ill for the OpenAI experiment in self-governance." 

As employees threatened to resign and rumors circulated that Microsoft may grab Altman's team from OpenAI and hire him directly, the company's board reinstated Altman as CEO less than a week later. 

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