Microsoft hasn't released all its investment into OpenAI, and I think this could trigger some special contingency in their agreement to stopping doing so.
I think one thing is for certain: OpenAI now, won't worth that much any more.
Maybe they can. Maybe they can't. We don't even know if "the talks" to return Sama were just investors writing angry emails to Ilya and him replying "nuh-ah".
I think one thing is for certain: OpenAI now, won't worth that much any more.