OpenAI faces mass employee turnover: 75% of employees follow Sam Altman's Microsoft ventures

Amid the ongoing drama surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, the biometric cryptocurrency Worldcoin (WDC) fell nearly 5%.

There are reports that Altman, a former OpenAI executive, will be joining Microsoft, and many OpenAI employees are considering following him into his new company.

OpenAI Board Faces Employee Rebellion

According to CNBC, OpenAI's board of directors announced on Friday that Altman would be removed from his position and replaced by technical director Mira Murati temporarily. However, late Sunday night, OpenAI revealed that former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear would take over as head of the company.

A few hours later, the situation took another turn, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman and former OpenAI president and chairman of the board Greg Brockman would be absorbed into the Microsoft team. Nadella said Altman will lead Microsoft's new advanced AI research team.

Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI and maintains a close technology partnership. Nadella expressed confidence in the collaboration and pledged to provide the necessary resources for the success of the newly formed research team.

Now, along with these developments, a report by Watcher Guru reveals that 75% of OpenAI employees have signed a letter threatening to join Altman's new AI venture at Microsoft. The request stems from an employee's request to the OpenAI board of directors over the controversial removal of Altman.

More than 500 employees, representing most of the staff, signed the letter of protest, Watcher Guru reported. The letter accuses the board of directors of failing to effectively oversee the company and recommends that Microsoft will offer jobs to those who choose to resign.

Notably, senior executives such as former interim CEO Mira Murati and COO Brad Lightcap are said to be among the signatories. This support highlights deep divisions within OpenAI about where the company is headed.

Altman's departure triggers stock price plummet, WDC faces uncertainty

As mentioned above, news of Altman's departure and potential employee loss had a significant impact on Worldcoin, which fell nearly 5%.

In the last 24 hours, the price of Worldcoin has plummeted on the daily chart.

Source: WDUSDT on TradingView.com

As you can see in the chart above, the controversial cryptocurrency fell sharply from $2.70 after rumors of Altman's switch to Microsoft broke. WDC fell to $2.24 on Monday.

Given the recent developments, it remains to be seen how the WDC will hold out and whether it will recover before testing the lower support line.

With a reshuffle of OpenAI's board of directors and the imminent departure of a significant portion of its employees, the company must address the concerns raised by employees and work to develop solutions that ensure stability and maintain its commitment to advancing AI technology.