Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has announced the formation of a new advanced AI research team at the company, with Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, both former executives from OpenAI, at the helm. Altman, who left OpenAI just 48 hours ago, will be the CEO of the new laboratory and will be joined by other former colleagues from OpenAI.

The departure of Altman and other key executives from OpenAI has raised concerns among investors, employees, and the technology industry as a whole. Initially, a former technology director was chosen to replace Altman but ultimately decided to align with him and left the position vacant. Negotiations did not result in a return to OpenAI for Altman.

OpenAI has been heavily invested in by Microsoft, including the integration of technologies such as ChatGPT and DALL-E in its search engine Bing. Losing Altman and his team could pose a significant risk for Microsoft and result in a loss of talent and competition from rival companies. However, Microsoft has secured the talent of Altman and his team, which is seen as a major victory for the company.

Altman remains a highly sought-after figure in the AI field and his departure has sparked interest and offers from other organizations, including the Government of France, which has extended a proposal to him and his team to help develop their capabilities in artificial intelligence. Despite the uncertain circumstances surrounding his departure from OpenAI, Altman’s reputation as an expert in AI is unquestioned.