US-based artificial research organization OpenAI has named former Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear as the interim CEO, days after the ousting of Sam Altman. Altman was fired by the board of OpenAI last Friday after he disagreed with it over a strategy decision. His firing sparked criticism from many prominent figures and even made some employees threaten to leave the company if he was not reinstated. The board reportedly had been in discussions with Altman over his return. However, the talks have ended without an agreement.

According to a memo to staff seen by The Washington Post, Shear will take over as CEO from the current interim CEO, Mira Murati, who was publicly aligned with Mr Altman. The memo said Shear has a “unique mix of skills, expertise, and relationships” that can help drive the company forward. Shear co-founded Twitch, a popular video game streaming platform that Amazon acquired in 2014. He also invests through venture capital firm Y Combinator.

Shear is an experienced technology executive who has previously run large tech companies, including the online games maker Twitch, where he was the CEO. He has also worked at Google and Facebook. He is a frequent guest on tech podcasts and is known for his optimism towards AI. He has warned that super-smart AI might eventually take over the world and annihilate human civilization.

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He recently told Logan Bartlett on a podcast that there was a “real risk” of super-smart AI being used by evil people to destroy all life on Earth. However, he believes this is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. He also warned that regulators should be careful not to stifle innovation when making tech guardrails.

It has been reported that Shear is an advocate for the idea of universal basic income and has ties to the effective altruism movement. He has also been critical of the rise of surveillance capitalism. He is expected to bring these ideas into the boardroom.

Despite the efforts of many investors, including Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, Altman will not be returning to OpenAI. Mr Altman is set to join Microsoft’s X division, where he will lead a new advanced AI team.

The move by the OpenAI board is a clear sign that the company has changed direction from its founder’s original vision. They were hoping to build AI that was ‘broadly beneficial.’ However, they have now decided to pursue a more aligned strategy with their financial goals. It’s still being determined whether this will be a good or bad outcome for the company in the long term. The new leadership will be able to turn things around and regain the trust of many of its most important backers. They will need to refocus their priorities to survive in this competitive environment. This includes the need to make sure the company can attract top talent.