The board of the company behind ChatGPT late on Friday fired OpenAI CEO Sam Altman -- to many, the human face of generative AI -- sending shock waves across the tech industry. OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati will serve as interim CEO, the company said, adding that it will conduct a formal search for a permanent CEO. The announcement blindsided many employees who discovered the abrupt management shuffle from an internal announcement and the company's public facing blog. OpenAI scheduled an emergency all-hands meeting to discuss the news with employees Friday afternoon, a person familiar with the matter said.

Sam Altman, who as CEO of OpenAI gave the world ChatGPT and became one of the most influential people in technology, has departed the company after losing the confidence of its board. A company statement says that a review "concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities." Mira Murati, previously OpenAI's chief technology officer, was appointed interim CEO while OpenAI searches for a full-time replacement, the statement says. Altman did not respond to a request for comment. Greg Brockman, who cofounded OpenAI with Altman alongside leading names in AI and technology, including Elon Musk, will also step down from his role as chair of the company's board, the company statement says.