Professional Ethics: An OpenAI Drama: The Firing and Rehiring of Sam Altman

Overview: 

In late 2023, OpenAI made headlines worldwide with the sudden firing—and equally sudden rehiring—of CEO Sam Altman. What unfolded wasn’t just a tech world drama, but an ethical case study in real time. Boardroom decisions, stakeholder pressure, transparency failures, and mission conflict collided in a high-stakes environment with global consequences.

In this engaging 2-hour ethics course, we’ll break down the Altman saga through the lens of professional ethics. You will examine what went wrong, how professional standards can guide difficult decisions, and what this event teaches us about leadership, governance, and ethical judgment in the age of AI.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completing this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the sequence of events that led to Altman’s removal and return
• Identify ethical failures and tensions within the OpenAI board’s decision-making process
• Explore the role of transparency, integrity, and objectivity in executive governance
• Apply ethical decision-making models to leadership and organizational dilemmas
• Reflect on how evolving technologies challenge traditional notions of professional ethics

Who Will Benefit: 

CPAs in public practice or industry, executives, board members, audit committee professionals, and anyone interested in the intersection of ethics, leadership, and disruptive technology.