OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, resigned on Wednesday, citing a desire for “the time and space to do my own exploration.” Murati, a key executive at the company responsible for ChatGPT, briefly led OpenAI last year during a period of uncertainty regarding CEO Sam Altman’s position.
In a message to the OpenAI team, which she also shared publicly on X, Murati expressed that although it is never an ideal time to leave cherished surroundings, the current moment felt appropriate for her departure. Sam Altman responded to her post, emphasizing Murati’s critical contributions to OpenAI and expressing personal gratitude for her support during challenging times.
Altman further elaborated in a detailed post on X, highlighting Murati’s significant role in OpenAI’s development over the last 6.5 years. He noted her instrumental contribution to transforming OpenAI from an unknown research lab into a notable company. Altman also mentioned the departures of Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Vice President of Research Barret Zoph, and announced a reshuffled leadership team, although a successor for Murati had not been named at the time.
Both Murati and OpenAI declined to provide additional comments on her departure, directing inquiries to her public post on X.
Mira Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 after working at Tesla and Leap Motion. At the time, OpenAI was a small nonprofit research lab, but it has since expanded significantly due to the success of ChatGPT. The organization has increasingly shifted its focus towards commercial endeavors and is reconsidering its nonprofit structure, drawing substantial investment interest.
Murati believed that AI would become the most important set of technologies humanity has ever developed, a sentiment she shared with Fortune last year. OpenAI’s mission to create technology that benefits people resonated deeply with her.
Last November, OpenAI experienced a significant internal upheaval, with CEO Sam Altman being temporarily replaced by Murati during a board-level coup. Following threats of a mass staff resignation and investor pressure, Altman was reinstated with a new board.
In the months following these events, several senior leaders have left OpenAI, including Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who were influential in the company’s early work and AI safety research, respectively. John Schulman, who succeeded Leike in leading AI safety work, stepped down in August. Additionally, cofounder Greg Brockman announced a sabbatical until the end of the year.
Many former OpenAI executives and researchers have since launched their own AI ventures. Notably, Sutskever founded Safe Superintelligence, focusing on safe AI development, while former research chief Dario Amodei and his sister Daniela founded Anthropic in 2021, now a key competitor in the AI industry.
A source close to the situation indicated that Murati’s final day at OpenAI has not been finalized, with ongoing discussions to ensure a smooth transition.
This report was updated on September 25, 2024, at 9:12 PM ET to include additional details on recent departures from OpenAI.
