OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Mira Murati, announced on Wednesday via X that she will be leaving the company. Murati stated that after more than six years at the AI startup, she is departing to pursue her own endeavors.
Murati posted on X that she made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI, acknowledging that there's never an ideal time to leave a place one cherishes, but feels this moment is fitting.
CEO Sam Altman expressed his gratitude in a separate post, commenting on Murati's tweet. Altman said, "We will soon share more information about our transition plan, but for now, I just want to take a moment to express my thanks. I am deeply grateful for everything she helped us build and achieve, but personally, I am most thankful for her support and love during our challenging times."
This announcement came just a week before OpenAI's annual developer conference, DevDay.
Last year, when Altman was abruptly fired by OpenAI's former board, Murati was briefly appointed as the interim CEO. Reports suggest that Murati and former OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, who were among the interim CEOs, had contacted other board members prior to Altman's ousting to express concerns about his conduct.
Murati has previously hinted in interviews that OpenAI's AI would reach "doctoral-level" intelligence and suggested that AI would replace creative jobs that "shouldn't exist." Murati is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from OpenAI in recent months.
Murati is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from OpenAI. Sutskever and former Security Head Jan Leike announced their departures in May, and co-founder John Schulman said last month he would leave to join competitor Anthropic. Meanwhile, OpenAI President Greg Brockman is extending his leave until the end of the year.
Murati's decision to resign comes as OpenAI is reportedly undergoing a funding round that could value the company at over $150 billion. Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, and Thrive Capital are reportedly in talks to invest; Bloomberg and other media report that this funding round could ultimately reach $65 billion.
