‘Not consistently candid’: The cryptic phrase that ended Sam Altman’s tenure at OpenAI

It was a bombshell that rocked the tech world. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the most prestigious and visionary AI startup on the planet, was sacked by the board on Friday. And he wasn’t the only one. Greg Brockman, the organization’s president, was also ousted. It was a swift and unexpected move, one that raised many questions and doubts. 

But the explanation that the board gave for their decisive action was even more baffling. They said that Altman was “not consistently candid in his communications with the board and the broader OpenAI team.”

Not consistently candid. What a strange and cryptic phrase. What did it imply? What did it conceal? Why did the board throw Sam under the bus so publicly?

The phrase “not consistently candid” is the kind of euphemism that makes you wonder what the hell is going on behind the scenes. It’s vague ...