Guessing they want to rehire Altman and Brockman into their old positions, while still keeping them off the board.
I think maybe the trigger was that Sam was doing some board-unfriendly moves like signing business contracts with MS without running it by the board, and they found out about this and booted him out hastily. But now they got too much backlash, and are hoping to just go back to normal, but still can't accept Sam keeping the board seats in case he tries again.
I'd guess that Sam probably won't take the deal too, though I don't think their relations are necessarily as bad as people imagine. I think the board is just considering this option, and also looking for other people in the likely case that Sam doesn't accept. But I really doubt they'll consider personally resigning.
The last 48 hours have made clear that the majority of talent at OpenAI would jump ship for Sam and Greg’s new venture, and they’d have the full support of Microsoft and OpenAI’s other investors. OpenAI would be left with a husk of a company and their chief customer and investor extraditing themselves. This is very much an existential moment.
Ilya, if he is being rational, needs to choose between an OpenAI that he has some continuing involvement in, lead by Sam’s gang, or bankruptcy.
He is fooling himself if he thinks there is a third path here.
I think maybe the trigger was that Sam was doing some board-unfriendly moves like signing business contracts with MS without running it by the board, and they found out about this and booted him out hastily. But now they got too much backlash, and are hoping to just go back to normal, but still can't accept Sam keeping the board seats in case he tries again.