Good morning. OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022 and, in doing so, propelled generative AI to the forefront of our current technological era. The firm's leadership culture, though, hasn't evolved as quickly as its tech stack—and executive turnover is high.
That includes chief technology officer Mira Murati, who announced her resignation on Wednesday. Last year, when CEO Sam Altman was ousted in a boardroom coup that wound up lasting five days, Murati served as interim CEO. Meanwhile, OpenAI's research chief Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph, a research vice president, are also departing the company.
OpenAI, with roots as a nonprofit research institute that also sells commercial products, proclaims its goal is “building safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence for the benefit of humanity.” As ChatGPT skyrocketed in popularity, Microsoft has invested about $13 billion in the startup.
But key executives are making their departures at a time when OpenAI’s board is considering converting into a for-profit corporation accountable to shareholders, Fortune reported. The company is reportedly working on a $6.5 billion funding round at a valuation of $150 billion.
One executive staying on is Sarah Friar, the CFO who joined OpenAI in June. Friar was previously CEO of Nextdoor, a hyperlocal social networking service for neighborhoods. She served as CFO of Square and oversaw its IPO. Friar has also worked at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Salesforce.
AI and community connections
In addition to leading finance, Friar seeks to keep human connection, similar to what she facilitated at Nextdoor, at the forefront of OpenAI. She is part of an ongoing dialogue on technology, governance, and democracy as co-chair of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab’s Advisory Group.
The lab announced on Tuesday the debut of The Digitalist Papers, a collection of essays exploring AI and digital technologies' impact on U.S. society and democracy.
Friar said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday that she co-authored an essay with Laura Bisesto, her chief of staff at OpenAI, and the former global head of policy and privacy at Nextdoor. “The Potential for AI to Restore Local Community Connectedness, the Bedrock of a Healthy Democracy,” is an essay that focuses on digital connections among neighbors to strengthen community fabric.
“While we view AI as having a major impact on our digital lives, the way digital impinges on real life may mean that AI is actually the biggest single influencer of our real-life experience, in particular, how community connectedness is established and nurtured,” the essay states.
In 2020, Nextdoor explored counteracting trends that were driving down neighborly connections, according to the essay. The company conducted a global scientific study with academic leaders. The research found that knowing as few as six neighbors, and neighborly acts of kindness, reduces the likelihood of feeling lonely and is linked to lower depression and social anxiety.
Friar argues that AI-enabled platforms can support the creation and sustenance of meaningful, place-based interactions and networks of support, which is the next leap forward in community building.
Regarding generative AI, some examples offered are fine-tuning models to uphold unique local speech patterns, and also using it to support constructive conversations by suggesting ways to rephrase potentially offensive comments with more prosocial revisions. Friar states in the essay: “Let’s ensure that AI serves as a cornerstone for a vibrant, inclusive, and resilient democracy.”
You can read the complete essay here. One thing is for sure, the impact of AI on the economy, workplace, and communities is still in the early innings.
Have a good weekend.
Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com
The following sections of CFO Daily were curated by Greg McKenna
