Mira Murati, a leading force behind OpenAI’s renowned platforms ChatGPT and DALL-E, has announced her decision to step down as Chief Technology Officer, marking the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the AI powerhouse.
Murati, who spent over six years at OpenAI, rose to prominence when she briefly took the helm as interim CEO following the ousting of co-founder Sam Altman in 2023. Her resignation appears driven by personal motivations.
“After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI… I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration,” Murati stated in a company memo later shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. She assured staff of a “smooth transition” during this pivotal moment.
Reflecting on her tenure, Murati remarked, “My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAI team have been an extraordinary privilege. There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right.”
Responding to her departure, Altman expressed his gratitude on X: “I feel tremendous gratitude towards her for what she has helped us build and accomplish, but I most of all feel personal gratitude towards her for the support and love during all the hard times. I am excited for what she’ll do next.”
Murati has not shied away from controversy. In June, she made waves with her comments on the future of creative work at The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live Conference, stating: “Some creative jobs maybe will go away, but maybe they shouldn’t have been there in the first place if the content that comes out of it is not very high quality.” She championed AI as a tool to expand human “intelligence, creativity, and imagination.”
Possible restructuring at OpenAI
Murati’s exit is not an isolated event. Altman confirmed that research chief Bob McGrew and Vice President Barret Zoph would also be leaving OpenAI, though for different reasons. He emphasized the company’s commitment to a seamless transition: “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.”
The wave of departures follows earlier exits from OpenAI’s leadership team. In May, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, known for his warnings about the potential misuse of AI, and safety expert Jan Leike left the company. In August, John Schulman, another founding member, resigned to join Anthropic, an Amazon-backed competitor.
These departures come amid significant structural changes at OpenAI, which began as a non-profit research entity. According to sources speaking to Reuters, OpenAI will soon pivot to a for-profit model to deliver greater returns to investors, potentially reducing the influence of its non-profit board.