Microsoft offers OpenAI employees to match their compensation

San Francisco: Microsoft on Tuesday said it will match OpenAI’s compensation to employees who want to join Sam Altman’s new advanced AI research lab at Satya Nadella-run tech giant.

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and EVP of AI, Kevin Scott, said in a post on X that the company has seen their petition to the OpenAI board.

“To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft’s new AI Research Lab,” he posted.

“Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission,” Scott added.

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Nadella announced on Monday Altman and OpenAI co-founder and former president Greg Brockman will join the company to run its advanced AI research team.

However, he said that it’s still possible that Altman could return to OpenAI in some capacity.

In an interview with CNBC, Nadella said that Microsoft wants Altman and Brockman to have a fantastic home if they’re not going to be in OpenAI.

Asked whether Altman would return to OpenAI, Nadella said: “That’s for, you know, the OpenAI board and management and the employees to choose … (Microsoft) chose to explicitly partner with OpenAI (and) obviously that depends on the people at OpenAI staying there or coming to Microsoft, so I’m open to both options.”

More than 500 employees at OpenAI on Monday reportedly threatened to resign and join Microsoft.

In a letter to OpenAI’s board, they said that “Microsoft has assured us that there are positions for all OpenAI employees at this new subsidiary should we choose to join”.

Competitors like enterprise software major Salesforce have also been trying to poach OpenAI employees to join their AI projects.

However, several OpenAI researchers turned down Benioff’s job offer.