Recently, as the case of Musk suing OpenAI continues to unfold, a key testimony from Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist of OpenAI, has been made public, once again bringing the 2023 "OpenAI power struggle" back into the public eye.

In his testimony, Sutskever clearly stated that the board's distrust of CEO Sam Altman did not emerge overnight. He had already begun considering replacing Altman a year before the removal action in November 2023. To prove Altman's "habitual misrepresentation," Sutskever spent an entire year conducting internal investigations and gathering evidence.

According to reports, Sutskever eventually submitted a detailed 52-page report to the board. The report documented several instances of Altman's dishonest behavior, accusing him of attempting to gain absolute control over the company by undermining the authority of other executives and deliberately inciting conflicts within the management. Sutskever also revealed that he had engaged in long-term and in-depth discussions with then Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Miriam Moller about the removal.

Looking back at the incident in November 2023, the situation was highly dramatic. At the time, Sutskever, as a core member of the board, orchestrated the removal action. However, shortly after, under significant pressure from employees and investors, he publicly expressed regret and turned around to vote in favor of Altman's reinstatement.

The power struggle ultimately ended with Altman's return and a board restructuring. Sutskever gradually stepped away from the core circle following the turmoil. In 2024, he officially left OpenAI and founded a new company called "Safe Superintelligence" (SSI), dedicated to developing safer AI technologies. The exposure of this testimony not only reveals long-standing rifts within OpenAI's leadership but also provides crucial insights into the governance crisis behind this leading AI company.