Jul 03, 2024 11:26:00

Apple executive Phil Schiller joins OpenAI as board observer

At the annual developer conference '

WWDC2024 ' held in June 2024, Apple announced a partnership with OpenAI and its personal AI ' Apple Intelligence .' As part of the partnership, Apple has acquired an observer role on OpenAI's board of directors. Former head of marketing and Apple Fellow Phil Schiller will serve as the observer.

Apple to Get OpenAI Board Observer Role as Part of AI Agreement - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-02/apple-to-get-openai-board-observer-role-as-part-of-ai-agreement

Apple's Phil Schiller reportedly joins OpenAI's board - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/2/24191105/apple-phil-schiller-join-openai-board

OpenAI is a non-profit organization known for developing AI such as 'ChatGPT'. In November 2023, OpenAI experienced an incident in which then-CEO Sam Altman suddenly resigned . Altman returned to the CEO position within about two weeks, but it has been revealed that this incident was a 'coup' by the board of directors.

In the midst of this series of events, Microsoft, which is partnering with OpenAI, has expressed its intention to welcome Altman and others to Microsoft, and after Altman's return, in January 2024, one of the company's vice presidents, Dee Templeton, was sent as an observer to the OpenAI board of directors.

Observers are members who attend Board meetings without voting rights or directorship powers and who have insight into how decisions are made at Board meetings.

With Apple now sending Phil Schiller as an observer, the board of directors of OpenAI will now include Microsoft and Apple, two longtime rivals and former partners, as observers. This could raise complex questions, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman points out.

Both Apple and OpenAI declined to comment on Schiller's appointment as an observer.

Continued
Microsoft resigns as OpenAI board observer, Apple also withdraws plans to become observer - GIGAZINE