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Microsoft hires former OpenAI CEO; AUS podcast ad spend up 88%; Meta disbands Responsible AI team

On today’s ExchangeWire digest: Microsoft hires Sam Altman, former OpenAI CEO; AUS podcast ad spend up 88%; Meta disbands Responsible AI team.

Microsoft hires Sam Altman, former OpenAI CEO

At the end of last week, Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI was ousted by the company’s board, as they claimed to have lost confidence in his ability to lead the business. OpenAI also said that Altman was “not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering his ability to exercise its responsibilities”. Following a chaotic weekend at the board, Altman has been hired by Microsoft, where he will be leading a new advanced AI research team. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, said that the company remained committed to its partnership with OpenAI.

AUS podcast ad spend up 88%

Podcast ad spend in Australia increased 88% in Q3 from the previous quarter, reports ARN’s iHeart and Magellan AI. Amazon was the top advertiser on Australian podcasts in Q3 2023, the report finds, through using AI to analyse thousands of episodes from over 400 of Australia's most popular podcasts. In the previous quarter, the report found that ad spend on Australian podcasts was growing 64% year-on-year.

Meta disbands Responsible AI team

Meta has disbanded its Responsible AI team, which was accountable for understanding and preventing harms associated with the AI being developed by the tech giant. Now, the efforts of most of this team will be directed towards generative AI work, while others will work on Meta’s AI infrastructure. Jon Carvill, a Meta representative, argued that although Meta is splitting the team up, the individuals will “continue to support relevant cross-Meta efforts on responsible AI development and use”.