'Top executive draws power to himself at OpenAI, drastically changes course'
OpenAI is undergoing major changes, with a significant drain on senior technical staff as CEO Sam Altman strengthens control. Consideration is being given to giving 7% of the shares to Altman and changing the company's stock price to generate profits. This has led to unrest within the company, with the departure of technology director Mira Murati who wants more room for his own research.
Discussions about profitability have been ongoing for some time, leading to chaos and Altman's temporary dismissal in 2023. Now the CTO and two other researchers are also stepping down, after key staff members left earlier. Shareholders such as Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia have been pressing for a focus on profits, which could potentially give OpenAI a $150 billion valuation in a subsequent investment round.
Source: BNR News
Scarcity in IT labor market declines
In the first quarter of 2024, the number of IT vacancies fell 29% from last year, from more than 12,500 to 8,838. Regional differences are striking, with the largest declines in Flevoland (39%), Limburg (38%) and North Holland (37%). Despite the decline, specific IT positions such as developers, support engineers and system administrators remain in demand.
There is also a change in the behavior of job seekers; while the number of latent seekers decreased by 5%, the number of active job seekers increased, probably due to reorganizations and layoffs. Demand for specialized profiles in software development and cybersecurity remains high, while demand for junior IT professionals fell 11%, in favor of medior and senior profiles.
The IT labor market shows a decrease in scarcity and a reduction in the time to fill vacancies, from 37 to 15 days. Job seekers increasingly value jobs that have social impact, with 44% finding this important. Trends point to a more balanced job market and a growing need for experienced candidates.
Source: Dutch IT Leaders