OpenAI’s chief research officer left after CTO Mira Murati's exit

OpenAI experienced significant leadership changes with the departure of Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, Research VP Barrett Zoph, and CTO Mira Murati. CEO Sam Altman announced the resignations on X, noting that the departures were independently made but coordinated for a smooth transition. Mark Chen will become SVP of Research, partnering with Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki. Matt Knight is promoted to Chief Information Security Officer, while Kevin Weil and Srinivas Narayanan continue leading the applied team.

Josh Achiam will head mission alignment. Altman assured staff that the changes were part of normal business operations, though the timing seemed abrupt. McGrew and Zoph cited personal reasons for their exits. The departures come as OpenAI transitions towards a for-profit model and seeks new funding, potentially causing internal disagreements. More details are expected at an all-hands meeting.

Source: TechCrunch