Microsoft has hired OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to head up a "new advanced AI research team," the software conglomerate's chief Satya Sam Altman and Greg Brockman and many of their former OpenAI colleagues will join Microsoft, Satya Nadella said.
He does appear to have their loyalty, if reports are to be believed.
However even every single one of the OpenAI employees on board with him, they’re not taking existing IP with them. And to recreate it from scratch, it seems, would put them so far behind as to not be worth it. Otherwise why freak out about the workplace?
Re Microsoft, they do seem to have the least amount of risk, where at minimum they’ll keep what they have, while the max upside is 100% of everything.
Although even for that, there are some uncertainties that only people with inside knowledge might have. E.g. if MS were instrumental in Altman’s subterfuge that caused his firing, if the board doesn’t want MS involved if they can force them to divest their 49%. Doesn’t seem likely.
Or if the board can create a different for-profit where MS doesn’t have a part and let the other one wither.
Or the risk of massive lawsuits from OpenAI against MS if they wholesale take their employees re IP theft (we’ve seen it between apple, google and Amazon).