Change is a constant in the fast-paced tech world, and it looks like OpenAI is no exception. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a significant leadership shakeup as CTO Mira Murati, along with two other top executives- chief research officer Bob McGrew, and a research VP Barret Zoph- decided to depart from the company.
In her heartfelt message to the team, Murati expressed her gratitude for the extraordinary journey she has had over the past six and a half years. “My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAl team have been an extraordinary privilege. While I’ll express my gratitude to many individuals in the coming days, I want to start by thanking Sam and Greg for their trust in me to lead the technical organization and for their support throughout the years,” she wrote.
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Murati highlighted the incredible teamwork that led OpenAI to the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, stating, “We brought safety research from the theoretical realm into practical applications, creating models that are more robust, aligned, and steerable than ever before.”
“I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration. For now, my primary focus is doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the momentum we’ve built,” she explained.
Altman also shared his sentiments about the departures. He mentioned that Murati played a crucial role in transforming OpenAI from an unknown research lab into a significant player in the tech industry. “I am extremely grateful to all of them for their contributions,” he stated, acknowledging the hard work and dedication these leaders put into building the company.
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Barret, who helped scale ChatGPT to its current level of success, described his decision to leave as “a natural point” for him to explore new opportunities. “Right now feels like a natural point for me to explore new opportunities outside of OpenAI,” he noted.
As OpenAI moves forward, Altman announced new leadership roles to ensure a smooth transition. Mark will step in as the new SVP of Research, while Josh Achiam will focus on Mission Alignment across the company.
“Leadership changes are a natural part of companies, especially companies that grow so quickly and are so demanding. I obviously won’t pretend it’s natural for this one to be so abrupt, but we are not a normal company, and I think the reasons Mira explained to me (there is never a good time, anything not abrupt would have leaked, and she wanted to do this while OpenAI was in an upswing) make sense,” Altman wrote in his note.