Microsoft bags OpenAI observer seat

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — Microsoft, the tech titan that has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has been given a seat on the startup's board.

The nomination was shared in a memo to OpenAI staff on Wednesday that was later posted to the company's blog and included a list of priorities from CEO Sam Altman about how the company would move forward.

The boardroom addition comes after OpenAI was thrown into tumult on November 17 when the company's board fired Altman only to hire him back a few days later when staff and investors rebelled.

"Thank you for everything you have done since the very beginning, and for how you handled things from the moment this started and over the last week," Altman told employees in the memo.