malfeasance

There’s a theory going around about OpenAI’s mysterious firing of its high-profile CEO Sam Altman. In essence, the hypothesis is that Altman was pushing hard to commercialize OpenAI’s research without giving proper regard to managing the safety risks of the technology. But an internal memo from OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap to employees on Saturday seems to throw cold water on that idea. “We can say definitively that the board’s decision was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business,…

An internal memo sent to OpenAI staff on Saturday after former CEO Sam Altman’s abrupt firing reiterates that “a breakdown in communication” led to the decision, not “malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices,” according to Axios and The New York Times. The memo obtained by both publications was sent to employees by OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap.Speculation has been nonstop since Altman was ousted unexpectedly as CEO on Friday and dropped from the…

Joyride Brewing, which has anchored the corner of 25th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard for the past ten years, said Friday that plans to file for bankruptcy protection. Brewery co-founder Dave Bergen said in a video on Facebook that he is making a very public announcement as a way to remain open and honest with customers. “Joyride will be filing for Chapter 11 reorganization due to suspected financial malfeasance from a former manager,” Joyride said in its statement. “This filing has nothing to do with Joyride’s ability to…

Over the past year, many venture-funded startups such as BharatPe, Byju's, Zilingo, Rahul Yadav's 4B Networks, and now Mojocare, have come under the spotlight for lapses in governance and even allegations of fraud. Now, audit firms are approaching VCs to help scrutinise their portfolio companies, sources told us. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.Also in this letter:■ Generative AI to impact about 1% of India’s IT workforce■ ETtech Done Deals■ In charts: Uncertain times for IT companiesStartup audits in…

Exaggerated misperceptions of opposing partisans’ commitment to democracy (study 1). Credit: Nature Human Behaviour (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01594-w In October 2020, two rival candidates for office in Utah made an unusual television ad together. Incumbent Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and his Democratic challenger, Chris Peterson, appeared in the same spot to note they were both "dedicated to the American values of…