Sam Altman was abruptly fired as co-founder and chief executive of OpenAI.
Within hours, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman said he too would leave the firm.
OpenAI investors are urging the firm’s board to reverse a decision to sack him.
If he does not return, Altman has been considering launching a new venture.
A memo to staff says he was pushed out over a “breakdown in communications”.
San Francisco | Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, two top executives at OpenAI who left the company after a dramatic board meeting on Friday (Saturday AEDT), are talking again with board members about returning to the artificial intelligence startup, in what would amount to a spectacular counter-coup.
The discussions follow an outcry after Mr Altman, 38, was ousted from his role as OpenAI’s CEO. Since then, OpenAI’s investors and Mr Altman’s supporters have pressured the four board members of the startup to bring Mr Altman back, six people with knowledge of the situation said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks are confidential.
