The former CEO of OpenAI, a major AI company, has shared a picture of himself at their headquarters following claims that he will be going back to the business after being dismissed on Friday.
In a photo taken on X (formerly Twitter), Sam Altman is seen with a guest ID pass. Along with the image, he jokingly remarks: "This is the first and last time I ever wear one of these".
The 38-year-old was instrumental in establishing the firm responsible for the well-known ChatGPT bot.
On Friday, Mr Altman got the boot from the board due to a lack of trust in him.
Suggestions over the weekend have been made that investors and employees are advocating for the return of Mr Altman.
As reported by tech news site The Information, Mr Altman and Greg Brockman - another co-founder who resigned on Friday as the company's president - were asked to the business' San Francisco headquarters for conversations on Sunday.
The BBC has requested a statement from OpenAI.
The dismissal of Mr Altman has caused a stir in the ever-expanding generative AI sector, as he is recognised as one of the most influential figures in this field.
In a letter sent out on Friday, the board of the company charged him for not being honest throughout his conversation with them, thus obstructing their ability to fulfil their duties.
The board did not reveal what he is suspected to have been deceptive about.
The board's alarm on Friday may have been nullified by the global response to their decision; there were likely worries that Altman could start up a competing company and pilfer OpenAI's most talented personnel.
It has been reported over the weekend that the dismissal of the individual caused frustration among current and former workers, as they were concerned it might interfere with the imminent $86bn (£69bn; €79bn) public offering.
The venture capitalists financing the firm, as well as Microsoft with its $10bn investment in OpenAI, have urged him to return, as reported by the Financial Times.
Rumor has it that insomnia has been running rampant in the Seattle offices of Microsoft, a company that has incorporated OpenAI's technology into its own programs.
Should Mr Altman come back, some assume he might request the formation of a fresh board of directors.
Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities informed BBC News that he is of the opinion that Mr Altman will be reinstated as OpenAI's CEO.
Mr Ives commented that it could be seen as a coup attempt on the part of the board to unseat Altman, but that it would likely have the opposite effect.
I anticipate that the board should be available within the next day and Altman should return. He is a standout in the world of AI. Both Microsoft and other investors continue to have him in their sights.
OpenAI is seen as having reached the pinnacle of success, with substantial investment capital flowing into the company, and ChatGPT - released nearly a year ago - is now utilized by a huge number of people.
Mr Altman has been the driving force behind the firm's success. He is highly respected by many to be the epitome of the industry.
He gave evidence at a US Congressional hearing to explore the potential advantages and disadvantages of the new technology, and he was at the initial AI Safety Conference in the UK in early November.
An outcry of backing from Silicon Valley executives, such as ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, resulted from his dismissal. Schmidt outlined that Altman is “a hero of mine” and maintained that he “altered our common realm irrevocably”.
Contributing to this story is BBC business reporter Annabelle Liang
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