Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, has made the decision to step down from her role after a period of six and a half years. As a pivotal contributor to the advancement of OpenAI's innovative technologies, Murati is embarking on a new journey to pursue personal projects and interests.
The Announcement of Departure
Murati's departure was communicated through a memo to OpenAI, which she also posted on X. In this memo, she conveyed her decision-making process and her deep affection for the organization. Despite the difficulty of leaving, Murati stresses the timing is right for her to begin a new chapter. She has expressed a strong dedication to a seamless transition, aiming to preserve the forward momentum OpenAI has achieved.
I shared the following note with the OpenAI team today. pic.twitter.com/nsZ4khI06P
— Mira Murati (@miramurati) September 25, 2024
Murati's decision comes as OpenAI is in negotiations to finalize a substantial funding initiative projected to elevate the company's worth beyond $150 billion. Thrive Capital is leading this funding endeavor with a substantial $1 billion investment, while discussions are ongoing with other prominent investors, including tech giants Microsoft, Nvidia, and Apple.
OpenAI is also making structural changes, including morphing its concepts of non-profit vs. for-profit. OpenAI is reportedly seeking to raise over $6.5 billion, which could push the company's valuation beyond $150 billion. To enhance its prospects for funding, OpenAI might dismantle its mixed nonprofit structure, originally intended to cap investor profits and remain consistent with its goal of creating AI that benefits society.
Interestingly, OpenAI switches to a more profit-based organization, CEO Sam Altman will take equity from the company for the first time. The OpenAI non-profit will continue to exist and own a minority stake in the for-profit company. However, the current non-profit board will no longer control the company.
The Context of Murati's Departure
Amidst its swift expansion and soaring market value, OpenAI has navigated through various challenges, including public controversies and a succession of executive resignations. Concerns have been raised by some staff members regarding the rapid scaling of the company and its potential repercussions on the safety of operations.
Murati has previously voiced her concerns regarding the influence of AI on creative professions, hinting at the possibility of certain jobs becoming redundant if they fail to generate content of exceptional quality. Nevertheless, she maintains a hopeful outlook on the role of AI in augmenting educational and creative endeavors.
Ongoing Departures and Executive Uncertainty
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday evening that Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Research Vice President Barret Zoph would also be leaving the company.
“Mira, Bob, and Barret made these decisions independently of each other and amicably,” he said in his post, “but 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.”
Murati's decision comes amid a flurry of high profile depatures and boardroom drama over the last year. It started in December 2023 with Altman being fired by OpenAI. Over the next week, there was controversy and confusion, with Altman seemingly ready to head up Microsoft's AI team. However, he was eventually reinstated as the head of OpenAI, with major investor Microsoft took a position on the board. That position was non-voting and Microsoft has since given it up.
In 2024, many important executives and employees have left OpenAI. Last month, I reported that OpenAI co-founder John Schulman is transitioning to Anthropic, the rival AI company that builds the Claude AI model. He was following fellow co-founder Greg Brockman and product lead Peter Deng out the door.
The corporate shuffle followed the disbanding of OpenAI's superalignment team, previously spearheaded by Jan Leike and Ilya Sutskever, a few months prior. The research team endeavored to overcome the technical hurdles associated with controlling superintelligent AI within a four-year timeframe.
The team comprised scientists and engineers from OpenAI's alignment division, as well as researchers from external organizations. Sutskever has also since departed the company and formed his own research lab to promote sage superintelligence.
