In Short:
Mira Murati, OpenAI’s CTO, resigned to explore new opportunities after a significant tenure with the company. She was a key figure behind ChatGPT and briefly led OpenAI last year. CEO Sam Altman praised her impact on the company. Murati, who joined OpenAI in 2018, declined to comment further. Her departure follows a series of leadership changes at OpenAI.
The chief technology officer of OpenAI, Mira Murati, announced her resignation on Wednesday, expressing her desire for “the time and space to do my own exploration.” Murati, who played a pivotal role among the top executives at OpenAI, briefly served as the interim leader of the company last year during a tumultuous period concerning the future of CEO Sam Altman.
Message to OpenAI Staff
In her message to the OpenAI staff, which she posted on X, Murati stated, “There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right.” In a response to Murati’s post, Altman expressed immense gratitude, stating, “It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally.”
Impact of the Resignation
The company has yet to announce a successor to Murati. A spokesperson representing Murati declined to provide further comments, while OpenAI directed inquiries to her tweet.
Career Background
Before joining OpenAI in 2018, Murati had experience working with Tesla and Leap Motion. At that time, OpenAI functioned as a small nonprofit research lab concentrating on the development of AI systems capable of replicating a diverse array of human tasks. The organization has since evolved significantly, particularly following the remarkable success of ChatGPT, shifting more towards commercial interests and re-evaluating its nonprofit structure. Investors have shown a growing interest, eager to invest billions into its future prospects.
Reflections on AI
Murati joined OpenAI with the belief that AI represents “the most important set of technologies that humanity has ever built.” She noted in a previous interview with Fortune last year that “OpenAI’s mission really resonated with me, to build a technology that benefits people.”
OpenAI’s Leadership Changes
OpenAI has faced significant upheaval, including a dramatic board coup last November that resulted in Altman‘s removal and temporary replacement by Murati. Following widespread discontent among the staff and intervention from major investors like Microsoft, who had heavily invested in the organization, Altman was reinstated with a new board. Since then, several key members of the leadership team have departed, including Ilya Sutskever, who resigned in May after having been instrumental in early projects.
Following Sutskever, other leadership figures, including Jan Leike and John Schulman, have also stepped back from their roles. Additionally, Greg Brockman, a co-founder and board member, has opted for a sabbatical until the year’s end.
Emergence of New AI Ventures
Numerous former executives and researchers from OpenAI have initiated new AI companies. Notably, Sutskever recently founded Safe Superintelligence, concentrating on the development of safe artificial intelligence. Former research chief Dario Amodei and his sister Daniela founded Anthropic in 2021, positioning it as a primary competitor in the AI space.
Transition Period
A source familiar with the situation has indicated that Murati‘s final working day at OpenAI has not yet been determined. Ongoing discussions between her and the company’s leadership aim to facilitate a smooth transition.
