OpenAI CTO Mira Murati announced her departure after six and a half years, citing a desire "to create the time and space to do my exploration." Her decision, shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, comes as OpenAI undergoes leadership changes. CEO Sam Altman also announced the exits of Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and VP of Research Barret Zoph.
Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during OpenAI’s leadership shakeup last year, emphasized her focus on ensuring a smooth transition for the company. Altman expressed gratitude for Murati's contributions, while OpenAI and Murati declined to provide further comments beyond their statements.
Mark Chen will step in as OpenAI's new Senior vice president of Research, and Jakub Pachocki will assume the role of Chief Scientist. These leadership changes follow several high-profile departures from OpenAI, including co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, who spearheaded the company’s long-term safety initiative.
Murati's departure reignites concerns about OpenAI's future direction, with questions lingering over its restructuring, especially in light of recent investments that may pull the organization further from its original non-profit mission. Murati had previously denied involvement in Altman’s brief ousting last year, responding to reports that she played a pivotal role in the decision as "misleading claims."