OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Steps Down From The Expedia Group Board Of Directors 'To Focus On His Other Business Pursuits'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman resigned from the Expedia Group board of directors on June 1, after helping the company get a head start on the new era of generative AI near the end of his almost four-year term.

According to a regulatory filing, Altman quit “to focus on his other business interests,” not because of any issue with the company, its management, or board.

Altman joined the Expedia Group board of directors in 2019, before achieving national fame.

Expedia Group chairman Barry Diller recently told a crowd at Expedia Group’s recent partner conference that Altman demonstrated the promise of generative AI to the company before OpenAI publicly announced its breakthrough AI technology.

Expedia has since released AI-powered products, such as a ChatGPT-powered travel planning tool that allows users to ask questions and automatically remembers the answers for later booking.

The board appointed Alexandr Wang, creator and CEO of AI data platform Scale AI, to replace the position left by Altman’s resignation. According to the regulatory filing, Wang established Scale as a 19-year-old MIT student in 2016. Customers of the San Francisco-based startup include autonomous car manufacturers.

In addition to the flagship Expedia.com, the Expedia Group comprises brands such as vrbo, Orbitz, Hotwire, Trivago, Hotels.com, and Egencia, and is based on the Seattle waterfront.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Steps Down From The Expedia Group Board Of Directors ‘To Focus On His Other Business Pursuits’

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman resigned from the Expedia Group board of directors on June 1, after helping the company get a head start on the new era of generative AI near the end of his almost four-year term.

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