Mira Murati Joins OpenAI Mass Exodus – Safety Concerns or New Startup?
Mira Murati is the latest OpenAI employee to announce her departure. | Credit: Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images.
Key Takeaways
- Mira Murati has announced her intention to step down as OpenAI’s CTO.
- The decision comes amid significant employee churn in recent months.
- Other high-profile exits include Ilya Sutskever, who left to start a new safety-focused AI venture.
- Meanwhile, co-founder John Schulman and former head of superallignment Jan Leike have switched teams to safety-focused Anthropic.
OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, has announced her intention to part ways with the company.
Adding to the growing list of high-profile exits from the AI powerhouse, the loss of one of OpenAI’s most senior executives points to major transformations underway at the company.
Murati To Leave OpenAI
As CTO, Mira Murati played a central role in shaping OpenAI’s technological strategies, overseeing the development of breakthrough models like GPT-4.
While she acknowledged that “there is never an ideal time to step away,” she said the current moment ”feels right” as the launch of OpenAI’s o1 “marks the beginning of a new era.”
Although she didn’t reveal a precise timeline for her departure, Murati said she would be focused on ensuring a “smooth transition” for the duration of her employment.
A String of Departures
On the same day that Muratti announced her intention to step down, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared that Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, and Vice President for Research, Barret Zoph will also be leaving.
“Mira, Bob, and Barret made these decisions independently of each other and amicably,” he said. “But the timing of Mira’s decision was such that it made sense to now do this all at once, so that we can work together for a smooth handover to the next generation of leadership.”
Other significant exits this year include Ilya Sutskever, who left to start a new safety-focused AI venture. Meanwhile, co-founders John Schulman and Jan Leike have taken up new roles at OpenAI rival Anthropic.
OpenAI Safety Concerns
Sutskever, Schulman, and Leike had worked on OpenAI’s superallignment initiative, but their departure points to internal rifts over AI safety, and the department has since been disbanded.
As evidence of the divide, OpenAI Researcher Collin Burns, who left the company in April, recently claimed that as many as half of the employees focused on AI safety and preparedness had resigned in frustration at their work being marginalized.
The OpenAI board responsible for overseeing the company has also been caught up in the debate over AI safety.
Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley, who stepped down from the board last year in protest against Altman’s leadership, have argued that profit-driven AI companies shouldn’t be trusted to govern themselves. The ex-board members have been highly critical of OpenAI’s culture and warned that the company lacks effective oversight.
What Next for Mira Murati?
Explaining her decision to leave OpenAI, Murati said: “I want to create time and space to do my own exploration”.
The comment could be read in different ways. Does Murati intend to explore opportunities within the AI industry? Or will she follow Sutskever and launch a new startup?
A move to Anthropic like Schulman and Leike seems less likely given Mirati’s general loyalty to Altman and the focus of her work. But that doesn’t foreclose the possibility of her finding employment at another AI company.
Ilya Sutskever Left OpenAI to Raise $1B for AI Safety Venture SSI in Less Than 3 Months
