Microsoft has hired OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to head up a “new advanced AI research team,” the software conglomerate’s chief Satya Nadella said Monday, capping three days of intense discussions following the unexpected decision by OpenAI’s board to dismiss Altman.

Many employees at Open AI quit and included some of its co-founders, such as Brockman, last week in protest. While Altman would lead the new group on AI at Microsoft, said Nadella. "We've learned much in the past about how we can give space to founders and how to give space to innovators to build independent identities and cultures, including GitHub and LinkedIn and Mojang Studios. I look forward to having you do the same".

Altman and Brockman will be backed by "colleagues," Nadella said. Former top talent at OpenAI Szymon Sidor, Jakub Pachocki and Aleksander Madry also come on board to Microsoft. "More" is expected to join them, Brockman announced in a post on X. (Microsoft has offered work to all employees of OpenAI, according to a letter that OpenAI employees wrote Monday to request the board to resign.)

We look forward to moving quickly to provide them with the resources needed for their success," Nadella said, whom many tech entrepreneurs labeled as an example of "incredible execution." According to Brockman, the new team will build "something new & it will be incredible."

Nadella whose firm has invested over $10 billion in OpenAI and acquired almost 50% ownership said that the Windows-maker remains committed to the startup.

Microsoft is said to have been caught off guard by the sudden action by the OpenAI board. It is great that Nadella was able to talk and find a familiar new home for the ex-leaders of OpenAI before the opening of the market on Monday.

Altman is the public face of OpenAI, the most valuable U.S. startup. It's not just wildly estimated to be leading the current AI race but has in less than a year also assumed the position of kingmaker for thousands of other startups that are building atop of its software offerings. Investment in OpenAI has also supercharged Microsoft's AI efforts, helping it court many businesses.

Many influential business chiefs and investors have commented on the surprise move by OpenAI, suggesting that without Altman, the startup cannot continue the same level of advancement. Microsoft's strategic move of securing Altman and Brockman helps to keep the capability of other leading tech companies from snatching it as well as keeps Wall Street positive regarding the prospect of Microsoft's future.

"The mission continues," declared Altman after Nadella announced that the 38-year-old entrepreneur had been welcomed into Microsoft fold.

This follows a stormy weekend where an effort by the OpenAI board, its investors, team members, and Altman to have the entrepreneur go back to the startup failed. The Open AI board appointed in a move reportedly shocking Altman the former Twitch chief executive and co-founder Emmett Shear as its interim chief executive.

Earlier over the weekend, Altman also pitched his new AI venture to investors, according to The New York Times.

We stand behind our partnership with OpenAI and are confident in our product roadmap, our ability to continue innovating with everything we announced at Microsoft Ignite, and in continuing to support our customers and partners. We look forward to getting to know Emmett Shear and OAI's new leadership team and working with them, Nadella added.

The OpenAI board said Altman had been removed because he wasn't "consistently candid" in conversation with the board. The reasons weren't elaborated, and it infuriated many OpenAI employees who were left clueless by the drastic action of the board. "The board had a chance to explain their drastic actions and they did not take it," wrote Andrej Karpathy, a research scientist at OpenAI, on X.

Analysts at Wedbush called the move “earthquake,” adding that OpenAI’s tech is at the “essence the core hearts and lungs of Redmond’s Copilot and enterprise strategy.” It added in the Saturday report, which was seen by TechCrunch: “Losing the key torch bearer around the AI strategy in Altman as well as Brockman is a clear near-term (and potentially long-term) blow to some of the future strategic initiatives at OpenAI.”

This number of OpenAI top talent, including CTO Mira Murati, on Monday protested OpenAI board's decision, which has prompted many talent to leave the firm. "OpenAI is nothing without its people," the tweets said.

In a post on X Monday, Shear admitted that OpenAI’s process and communication around the removal of Altman “has been handled very badly, which has seriously damaged our trust.” Shear said over the next 30 days he plans to hire an independent investigator for a full review of the process that led to Altman’s removal, engage in extensive discussions with stakeholders for insights and restructure the management and leadership team to better serve OpenAI customers.

"Depending on what comes out of this, everything we learn from those, I will drive changes in the organization — up to and including pushing really hard for major governance changes if that's what makes sense. I will be rolling those out as they become clear over the 30 day period. OpenAI's stability and success are just too important to allow turmoil to disrupt them like this.". I will try to answer all the key questions as well, though I fear it may be longer than a month to reach real progress," he said.

"I have nothing but respect for what Sam and the whole OpenAI team have built. It is not only an incredible research project and software product, but an incredible company. That's the reason I am here, and to be precise, it is going to be everything in my power to protect it and grow it further."