Microsoft and Apple have decided against taking up board seats at OpenAI. The decision comes as regulatory bodies intensify their scrutiny of big tech’s involvement in AI development and deployment.
According to a Bloomberg report on July 10, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter, Microsoft has officially communicated its withdrawal from the OpenAI board. This move comes approximately a year after the Redmond-based company made a substantial $13 billion investment in OpenAI in April 2023.
In a memo addressed to OpenAI, Microsoft stated: “Over the past eight months we have witnessed significant progress from the newly formed board and are confident in the company’s direction.” The tech giant added, “We no longer believe our limited role as an observer is necessary.”
Contrary to recent reports suggesting that Apple would secure an observer role on OpenAI’s board as part of a landmark agreement announced in June, it appears that OpenAI will now have no board observers following Microsoft’s departure.
Responding to these developments, OpenAI expressed gratitude towards Microsoft, stating, “We’re grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership.”
This retreat from board involvement by major tech players occurs against a backdrop of mounting regulatory pressure. Concerns about the potential impact of big tech on AI development and industry dominance have prompted increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies worldwide.
In June, European Union regulators announced that OpenAI could face an EU antitrust investigation over its partnership with Microsoft. EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager also revealed plans for local regulators to seek additional third-party views and survey firms such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and ByteDance’s TikTok regarding their AI partnerships. Subscribe to TheGen's AI newsletter for more such Gen AI news.
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