List of top leaders of OpenAI who departed after the 2023 attempt to oust CEO Sam Altman

Deeksha Somani / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Oct 3, 2024, 17:20 IST

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OpenAI is facing a wave of leadership departures, including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, after an unsuccessful attempt to remove CEO Sam Altman last year. Notable exits include ten prominent leaders. The company is addressing these abrupt changes while continuing to balance innovation and safety in the rapidly changing AI landscape.

List of top leaders of OpenAI who departed after the 2023 attempt to oust CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI has experienced a notable wave of leadership departures following last year's unsuccessful attempt to remove CEO Sam Altman. On Wednesday, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, announced her resignation, joining a growing list of high-profile exits, including Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph.
In a memo addressing the situation, Altman acknowledged the abrupt nature of these departures.

He explained, "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."

History of leadership departures from OpenAI

OpenAI, founded in 2015, has seen a number of leaders step down over time. Notably, Elon Musk left the board in 2018. However, the recent turnover has been unusually swift, following an internal attempt to oust Altman last November. Several former board members, including Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, voiced concerns about Altman’s leadership, accusing him of fostering a "toxic culture of lying" and calling for more independent oversight in AI development.

Top leaders who have left OpenAI since November 2023

Ten prominent leaders have left OpenAI since the events of last November, marking a significant shift within the company. These exits include:

Helen Toner: Resigned from the board in November, criticising Altman for keeping the board in the dark about major decisions, including the release of ChatGPT.

Tasha McCauley: Also left the board in November, citing concerns about OpenAI’s ability to self-regulate.

Andrej Karpathy: A co-founder who left in February, stating that his experience at OpenAI over the past year had been "really great." He now leads Eureka Labs.

Jan Leike: Resigned in May, expressing dissatisfaction with OpenAI's focus, claiming, "safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products."

Ilya Sutskever: Co-founder and former chief scientist, who played a role in last year’s attempted ouster, left in June. He voiced support for the new leadership, emphasising AI safety.

Peter Deng: Vice President of Product, who departed earlier this year.

John Schulman: Left in August to join Anthropic, motivated by a desire to concentrate on AI alignment and technical research.

Mira Murati: Chief Technology Officer, who stepped down to pursue personal projects. Murati briefly served as CEO during last year’s leadership turmoil.

Bob McGrew: Chief Research Officer, who announced his departure by the year’s end, expressing satisfaction with his work on OpenAI's latest model.

Barret Zoph: Vice President of Research, who left to explore new career opportunities.

OpenAI ongoing leadership transition

Despite these significant changes, Altman emphasised that the departures of McGrew, Murati, and Zoph were made independently and on good terms. OpenAI continues to operate in a rapidly evolving space, with President Greg Brockman currently on leave until the end of 2024.
These leadership changes reflect the immense challenges OpenAI faces as it navigates the complexities of AI development and growth. As the company continues to expand, it must grapple with the balance between innovation and safety, while adapting to the pressures of the rapidly changing AI landscape.
Also read | What are Bill Gates' 3 biggest concerns about AI?

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