Sam Altman and Greg Brockman have very similar backgrounds. They are both highly intelligent, both dropped out of college and lack any advanced education. They are classic Silicon Valley entrepreneurs: well-networked, great at fund raising, maybe even good managers. Potential contribution to advanced AI research: zero.
What, exactly, does Microsoft want to do with them? Best guess: Use their connections and reputation to poach talent from OpenAI.
This is such a weird take. Sam and Greg were at OpenAI for 8 years! Why is it assumed that their “potential contribution to advanced AI research” is contingent on their having spent (no/more/less) time at academic institutions decades ago?
Yeah but Greg is not community college dropout, but (both) MIT and Harvard dropout.
Someone who could qualify to go to both Harvard and MIT will be better at anything they set their mind to than the regular grad with four year of education after the said four years.
What, exactly, does Microsoft want to do with them? Best guess: Use their connections and reputation to poach talent from OpenAI.