OpenAI's 3rd CEO in 4 days: Who is Emmett Shear?

OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT and DALL-E, has appointed Emmett Shear as its interim CEO, marking the third leadership change in just four days. The decision comes after the sudden removal of former CEO Sam Altman, sending shockwaves through the tech industry.

Who is Emmett Shear?

Hailing from Seattle, Emmett Shear pursued a bachelor's degree in computer science at Yale University. He is a seasoned tech executive who served as the CEO of Twitch, a live video streaming platform owned by Amazon. His departure from Twitch occurred in March of this year, capping off a 16-year tenure at the helm of the platform. 

Shear played a pivotal role in the inception of Twitch, originally known as Justin.tv when it was co-founded by him in 2006. The platform underwent a significant transformation, rebranding as Twitch in 2011. Under Shear's leadership, Twitch rapidly gained popularity within the gaming community, emerging as a dominant force in the live video streaming space. In 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch for just under $1 billion, solidifying its status as a major player in the industry.

Following his departure from Twitch, Shear transitioned to a new role as a partner at Y Combinator, an international startup accelerator. There, he was actively involved in advising startups for the past seven months. 

Future of OpenAI

After being announced as the new interim CEO of OpenAI, Shear in a public statement expressed his commitment to reforming the startup's management team, signalling a potential shift in the company's strategic direction. Additionally, he revealed plans to bring in an independent investigator to delve into the circumstances surrounding Sam Altman's departure.

The sudden leadership changes at OpenAI have raised eyebrows across the industry, leaving many to speculate about the internal dynamics and challenges faced by the organisation. On Monday, about 500 of 700 employees of the company publicly threatened to quit unless the current board resigned and Sam Altman, former CEO, and Greg Brockman, former President, were restored to their original roles.

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