With over 10,000 posts in the past year, Shear’s freewheeling style extends beyond social media to reshape the future of OpenAI.
TWC Magazine – In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI, the groundbreaking artificial intelligence company, finds itself amid a storm of executive changes, and the recent appointment of Emmett Shear as interim CEO is only intensifying the upheaval.
Emmett Shear, a co-founder of Twitch’s widely popular streaming platform, announced on Monday that he had taken on the role of interim CEO at OpenAI. Since he departed from Twitch in March, Shear has taken a notably unrestrained approach on social media, expressing opinions on Microsoft, delving into gender politics, and even engaging in discussions about OpenAI’s decisions, including the controversial firing of Sam Altman before Shear assumed his new position.
The change in leadership comes on the heels of the board’s decision to oust Sam Altman on Friday, who was swiftly hired by Microsoft on Monday, triggering a mass exodus threat from OpenAI employees. Reportedly, more than 90% of the workforce, a staggering 700 out of 770 employees, have issued a collective ultimatum—either the board resigns, Altman is reinstated, or they’ll defect to Microsoft.
While Shear initially cited his retirement from Twitch in March to spend time with his newborn son, he has since taken on a part-time role at the venture capital firm Y Combinator, where Altman served as CEO less than a decade ago. Notably, Shear was a beneficiary of Y Combinator’s initial funding round in 2005, successfully pitching a calendar application during college. Later, he co-founded Twitch, initially known as Justin. Tv, and held the position of CEO for an impressive 12 years.
Shear’s appointment as interim CEO has ignited criticism from various quarters, especially within the tech community. Questions surrounding the due diligence behind his selection have been raised, given his outspoken nature on social media.
As of the latest update, Shear’s X bio proudly mentions his role at OpenAI, a stark contrast from a few hours earlier when it simply stated, “Super opinionated about the most random s—.” Notably, Shear’s following on X has experienced a remarkable surge, doubling since the announcement of his new role, currently standing at an impressive 74,000. As the tech world watches, Emmett Shear steps into the spotlight, bringing his bold and unfiltered approach to reshape the trajectory of OpenAI.