NEW DELHI: Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft-backed OpenAI, has announced her resignation from the artificial intelligence startup, adding to a series of executive exits this year. Murati, who has been a pivotal figure in the development and growth of OpenAI, shared her decision on social media on Wednesday.In a post on X, Murati expressed her intention to “create the time and space to do her own exploration,” highlighting her pivotal role in OpenAI’s advancements in AI technology.
In her message, Murati conveyed her gratitude to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman, acknowledging their collaborative efforts in pushing AI boundaries. “I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI,” she wrote, thanking her colleagues for their teamwork.
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Altman, in response, praised Murati’s contributions, stating, “It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally.”
Murati’s departure comes at a time when OpenAI is undergoing significant changes, including a restructuring to become a for-profit entity. This move is expected to grant co-founder Sam Altman $150 billion in equity.
These departures occur as OpenAI is finalizing a substantial $6.5 billion funding round, potentially valuing the company at $150 billion, according to media sources. The financing deal may involve restructuring OpenAI into a for-profit benefit corporation, allowing Altman to gain an equity stake. It remains uncertain whether Murati’s exit will influence the fundraising efforts, as such agreements typically include clauses for reconsideration in light of significant leadership shifts.
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Murati has been with OpenAI for over six years, joining the company in 2017. She briefly assumed the role of CEO during a leadership crisis that saw Altman temporarily ousted. Before becoming CTO in May 2022, she served as OpenAI’s VP of Applied AI and Partnerships, with previous roles at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion.
As CTO, Murati was a key public figure for OpenAI, collaborating with Altman to unveil major innovations like the GPT-4o model, which can conduct realistic voice conversations.
Hours after Murati’s announcement, Altman revealed that two additional senior leaders, Barret Zoph, Vice President of Research, and Bob McGrew, Chief Research Officer, had also resigned. Their exits reflect ongoing leadership changes within the company. Earlier this year, co-founder Ilya Sutskever and safety leader Jan Leike left the company, citing concerns over the prioritization of product development over safety. Additionally, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, Greg Brockman, is currently on an extended leave.
This year has seen multiple leadership departures at OpenAI. In August, co-founder John Schulman announced he was joining rival AI company Anthropic.
Meanwhile, Altman confirmed several internal promotions: Matt Knight will take on the role of Chief Information Security Officer, Josh Achiam will lead Mission Alignment, and Mark Chen will step in as Senior Vice President of Research.
As OpenAI navigates this period of transition, the company is expected to announce further details on the leadership changes in the coming days. Murati’s departure marks the end of an era for OpenAI but also signals new beginnings for both the company and its former CTO.