OpenAI CTO Mira Murati resigns as executive departures continue
What's the story
Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence start-up OpenAI, has announced her departure from the company.
This move is part of a series of high-level exits that have occurred within the firm this year.
"I'm stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration. For now, my primary focus is doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the momentum we've built," Murati said.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Murati's post
I shared the following note with the OpenAI team today. pic.twitter.com/nsZ4khI06P
— Mira Murati (@miramurati) September 25, 2024
Altman's response
I am excited for what she'll do next: OpenAI CEO
"It's hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote on X, in response to Murati's post.
"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."
Career trajectory
Murati's journey and contributions at OpenAI
Murati has been an instrumental part of OpenAI for over six years, joining the team in 2017.
She briefly assumed the role of CEO during a leadership crisis in November when the board temporarily removed Altman.
Before becoming CTO in May 2022, Murati was OpenAI's VP of Applied AI and Partnerships.
Her professional journey also includes significant roles at Tesla and augmented reality start-up Leap Motion.
Additional exits
OpenAI's VP of Research and Chief Research Officer also depart
Following Murati's announcement, two more senior technical leaders from OpenAI have resigned.
Barret Zoph, VP of Research, and Bob McGrew, Chief Research Officer, are the latest to leave the company.
These departures come as OpenAI is on the verge of finalizing a substantial $6.5 billion funding round that could potentially value it at $150 billion.
Corporate shift
OpenAI's restructuring and funding round
The upcoming financing deal is reportedly dependent on OpenAI's transition into a for-profit benefit corporation. This change would also provide Altman with an equity stake in the company.
It remains uncertain how Murati's departure will affect these fundraising efforts, as such agreements often include clauses allowing investors to revise terms following significant leadership changes.
Legacy
Murati's impact and OpenAI's future plans
As CTO, Murati was a visible figure at OpenAI, often appearing with Altman to unveil major innovations like the GPT-4o model.
Despite the recent leadership departures, Altman has confirmed several internal promotions within the company.
Matt Knight will serve as Chief Information Security Officer, Josh Achiam will lead Mission Alignment, and Mark Chen will step into the role of Senior Vice President of Research.
Previous exits
2024: The year of executive exodus for OpenAI
OpenAI has experienced significant leadership turnover this year. In August, co-founder John Schulman announced on X that he had joined Anthropic, a competing AI company.
Additionally, co-founder Greg Brockman revealed plans for a sabbatical lasting until the end of the year.
Furthermore, Chief Scientist and co-founder Ilya Sutskever departed the company in May to start his own safety-focused AI venture called Safe Superintelligence (SSI). The start-up recently raised $1 billion in funding.