OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Steps Down Amidst Leadership Shake-Up

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Mira Murati Steps Down as OpenAI's CTO

On Wednesday, Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, announced her departure from the company. She expressed a desire for “the time and space to do my own exploration.” As one of the top three executives at OpenAI and a key figure behind ChatGPT, Murati briefly took the helm of the company last year during discussions about CEO Sam Altman's future.

"In her message to OpenAI staff, which she shared on X, she expressed that while leaving a beloved place never comes at a perfect moment, this instance seems appropriate."

Altman responded to Murati's post on X, expressing that “it’s difficult to emphasize enough the significance of Mira to OpenAI, our purpose, and to each of us on a personal level.” He further mentioned his “personal appreciation for her for the backing and affection throughout all the challenging moments.”

In an extensive post on X Wednesday evening, Altman provided more details. "Mira has played a crucial role in OpenAI's evolution and expansion over the past 6.5 years; she has been a major contributor to our journey from a little-known research facility to a significant entity," he stated. "Upon learning of Mira's departure this morning, I was disheartened, yet I fully back her choice."

In the same announcement, Altman also revealed that chief research officer Bob McGrew and vice president of research Barret Zoph would be leaving the company. There was no immediate announcement of who would take over from Murati; instead, Altman outlined changes to the leadership team following the exit of McGrew and Zoph.

Murati chose not to give more information, speaking via a personal representative. Similarly, OpenAI refused to make a statement, directing questions back to Murati's Twitter post.

Before his tenure at OpenAI began in 2018, Murati had stints at both Tesla and Leap Motion. Initially, OpenAI was a modestly sized nonprofit dedicated to crafting an AI system that could replicate various human activities. However, following the remarkable triumph of ChatGPT, the entity has experienced significant growth and a shift towards more commercial endeavors. Consequently, the organization is reassessing its nonprofit model, as investors show growing interest in funding its potential with billions of dollars.

Murati joined OpenAI with the conviction that AI represents "the most significant technological advancements humanity has ever achieved," she shared with Fortune previously. "The mission of OpenAI truly struck a chord with me, which is to develop technology that serves the greater good."

In a startling turn of events last November, OpenAI experienced a significant upheaval when Sam Altman was ousted from his position as CEO, with Murati stepping in temporarily as his replacement. The move sparked a massive backlash from the majority of the company's employees, who threatened to quit, and following appeals from backers such as Microsoft—who had invested heavily in the organization—Altman was restored to his role alongside a completely revamped board.

Over the subsequent months, numerous leaders and key engineering personnel have departed from OpenAI. Among them was Ilya Sutskever, a foundational employee who played a significant role in the company's initial projects and had a seat on the board. He had initially voted in favor of dismissing Altman but later withdrew his stance. Sutskever left the company in May.

Shortly after Sutskever left, Jan Leike, an engineer in charge of guiding long-term AI safety initiatives alongside Sutskever, also exited the company. Following their departures, John Schulman, who had assumed the role of leading the safety efforts, resigned in August. In the same month, OpenAI cofounder and board member Greg Brockman, an ally of Altman, announced he would be taking a break from the firm, planning to return at the year's end.

Several ex-OpenAI officials and scholars have proceeded to establish their own AI startups. In particular, Sutskever initiated Safe Superintelligence this year, concentrating on the creation of secure AI technologies. Ex-OpenAI research leader Dario Amodei, along with his sister Daniela, set up Anthropic in 2021, which has since emerged as one of the main competitors for clients.

An individual close to the matter has indicated that the exact date of Murati's departure from OpenAI is yet to be determined. Discussions are currently in progress between Murati and the top executives at OpenAI to facilitate an orderly transition.

Last updated on September 25, 2024, at 9:12 PM ET: Additional staff exits from OpenAI have been included in the latest version of this

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