Microsoft has decided to step down from its position as an observer on the board of OpenAI, less than eight months after securing the non-voting seat.
It was previously reported that Apple was planning to join OpenAI’s nonprofit board, but the Financial Times now states that Apple will not be joining the board.
OpenAI confirmed Microsoft’s decision in a statement to the reporters, following reports from Axios and the Financial Times that Keith Dolliver, Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, wrote a letter to OpenAI on Tuesday.
“We appreciate Microsoft’s confidence in the Board and the company’s direction, and we are excited to continue our successful partnership,” said OpenAI spokesperson Steve Sharpe.
“Under the leadership of CFO Sarah Friar, we are implementing a new approach to informing and engaging key strategic partners, such as Microsoft and Apple, as well as investors like Thrive Capital and Khosla Ventures.”
OpenAI will engage in regular stakeholder meetings with Microsoft and Apple to enhance collaboration and share progress on their mission, focusing on safety and security.
Concerns over antitrust issues related to Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI have led to changes in OpenAI’s board. UK and EU regulators have been seeking views on the partnership, while the FTC is investigating investments from Microsoft, Amazon, and Google into OpenAI and Anthropic.
Microsoft’s substantial investment of over $10 billion in OpenAI has established them as the exclusive cloud partner for OpenAI, powering all of OpenAI’s workloads.
This partnership has given Microsoft a competitive advantage in the AI race, with OpenAI’s models contributing to various AI features across Microsoft’s products and services.
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