Three key executives have announced their departure from OpenAI, making it the latest in a series of high-profile exits from the organisation this year.
On Wednesday, Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, Vice President of Research Barret Zoph, and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew shared their decisions to leave the company, posting updates on X (formerly known as Twitter).
OpenAI is currently engaged in discussions for a new funding round, reportedly seeking $6.5 billion, which would place the company’s valuation at approximately $150 billion.
However, this investment is said to be contingent on OpenAI restructuring its corporate framework to transition into a for-profit benefit corporation, a move that could also see CEO Sam Altman receiving an equity stake.
Altman’s removal from OpenAI by its non-profit board in late 2023, due to internal disagreements, remains a sensitive issue, though he was reinstated shortly after.
The circumstances surrounding the exits of Murati, Zoph, and McGrew have not been fully disclosed, raising questions about whether their departures might impact the ongoing financing raise.
Despite this, some sources indicate that Murati is still engaged with OpenAI, negotiating her departure after serving the company for over six years. During this time, she was key in developing fundamental products such as GPT-4 and held the CEO role briefly following Altman’s temporary ousting.
Murati, who joined OpenAI in 2018, pointed to personal reasons for stepping down, stating she wished to explore new opportunities. Before her role at OpenAI, she held senior positions at Leap Motion and Tesla, where she managed the development of their Model X vehicle.
Barret Zoph, who joined OpenAI in 2022, also announced his decision to seek new ventures, describing his departure as a natural progression in his career. Meanwhile, Bob McGrew, who had been with OpenAI for over seven years, shared that it was time for him to take a break after what he described as a “humbling and awe-inspiring journey” with the company.
These latest exits follow a string of other high-profile resignations, including co-founder John Schulman and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, as OpenAI continues to navigate internal shifts while aiming to secure its place as a leader in artificial intelligence research and development.
Sam Altman, in response to Murati’s announcement, stated gratitude for her contributions and indicated that further details on leadership transition plans would be shared in due course. The timing of these departures comes just ahead of OpenAI’s annual developer conference, DevDay, adding further intrigue to the company’s ongoing evolution.
OpenAI’s leadership changes, though described by Altman as part of the natural progression of fast-growing companies, are raising questions, especially as the company moves towards a new governance structure and larger financial ambitions.
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