Mira Murati, who previously served as chief technology officer, has been named interim chief executive.

Sam Altman, the prominent chief executive of OpenAI and a figurehead of the tech industry's artificial intelligence surge, was ousted by the company's board of directors, as announced in a blog post on Friday afternoon.

This decision triggered a reorganization at OpenAI, a pioneering AI company known for creating the popular chatbot ChatGPT. Mira Murati, formerly OpenAI's chief technology officer, was appointed interim CEO, according to the company. Shortly thereafter, Greg Brockman, the company's president, announced his resignation.

"Mr. Altman’s departure follows a thoughtful review process by the board, which determined that he was not consistently transparent in his communications with the board, impeding its ability to fulfill its responsibilities," the company stated. "The board has lost confidence in his capacity to effectively lead OpenAI."

Altman's exit from OpenAI marks a surprising turn for the 38-year-old executive, who, in the past year, had risen to prominence as one of the tech industry's most notable leaders and intriguing personalities. Last autumn, OpenAI sparked widespread interest in the AI field with the launch of ChatGPT.