Microsoft Exits OpenAI Board After $13B Investment, Apple Declines Observer Role

Microsoft has stepped back from its observer role on the OpenAI board. This decision follows a $13 billion investment in the AI firm in April 2023.

Microsoft has withdrawn from its observer role on the OpenAI board, following a $13 billion investment in the AI firm earlier this year. The move was confirmed by Bloomberg on July 10, citing an anonymous source.

In a letter to OpenAI, Microsoft expressed satisfaction with the new board’s progress over the past eight months.

“We no longer believe our limited role as an observer is necessary,”

the company stated.

Apple, initially expected to join OpenAI’s board as part of a major agreement announced in June, has now declined the offer. Consequently, OpenAI will no longer have any board observers.

OpenAI acknowledged Microsoft’s decision, stating:

“We’re grateful to Microsoft for voicing confidence in the board and the direction of the company, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership.”

The development comes amid EU regulators’ close scrutiny of Big Tech’s influence on AI. In June, the European Commission hinted at a possible antitrust investigation into OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft.

The scrutiny is part of a broader initiative to monitor the AI activities of major firms like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and ByteDance’s TikTok.

EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager announced that local regulators would seek additional third-party views and survey these companies concerning their AI partnerships.

The European Commission has also indicated that Microsoft could face fines up to 1% of its annual EU revenue, depending on its compliance with information requests related to its Bing search engine and generative AI services.

Meanwhile, discussions between Apple and OpenAI about integrating generative AI technologies into iOS continue. Reports from April 2024 highlighted these active talks, suggesting a potential collaboration to enhance AI functionalities on Apple devices.

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