Ilya is hard to replace, and no one thinks of him as a political animal. He's a researcher first and foremost. I don't think he needs anything more than being contrite for a single decision made during a heated meeting. Sam Altman and the rest of the leadership team haven't got where they are by holding petty grudges.

He doesn't owe us, the public, anything, but I would love to understand his point of view during the whole thing. I really appreciate how he is careful with words and thorough when exposing his reasoning.

Just because hes not a political animal it doesn't mean he's inured from politics. I've seen 'irreplaceable' a-political technical leaders be reason for schisms in organizations thinking they can lever their technical knowledge over the rest of the company only to watch them get pushed aside and out.

Oh that's definitely common. I've seen it many times and it's ugly.

I don't think this is what Ilya is trying to do. His tweet is clearly about preserving the organization because he sees the structure itself as helpful, beyond his role in it.

Fair - hopefully an unintentional political move but big political miscalculation.

For someone who isn't a political animal he made some pretty powerful political moves.

researchers and academics are political withing their organization regardless of whether or not they claim to be or are aware of it.

ignorance of the political impact/influence is not a strength but a weakness, just like a baby holding a laser/gun.

I've worked with this type multiple times. Mathematical geniuses with very little grasp of reality, easily manipulated into doing all sorts of dumb mistakes. I don't know if that's the case, but it certainly smells like it.

His post previous to that seems pretty ironic in that light - https://twitter.com/ilyasut/status/1710462485411561808

He seriously underestimated how much rank and file employees want $$$ over an idealistic vision (and sam altman is $$$) but if he backs down now, he will pretty much lose all credibility as a decision maker for the company.

If your compensation goes from 600k to 200k, you would care as well.

No idealistic vision can compensate for that.

Hey i would also be mad if i were in the rank and file employee position. Perhaps the non profit thing needs to be thought out a bit more.

Does that include the person who stole self-driving IP from Waymo, set up a company with stolen IP, and tried to sell the company to Uber?

That seems rather harsh. We know he’s not stupid, and you’re clearly being emotional. I’d venture he probably made the dumbest possible move a smart person could make while also in a very emotional state. The lessons for all to learn on the table is making big decisions while in an emotional state do not often work out well.