Mira Murati, OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer, announced on September 25, 2024, that she will be stepping down after more than six years at the company. Her decision marks the latest in a series of high-profile exits at OpenAI this year.
Murati shared that she is leaving to create space for her own personal exploration, following her pivotal role in shaping OpenAI’s technical trajectory. During her time at the company, she made significant contributions, including a brief stint as interim CEO when Sam Altman was briefly ousted by OpenAI’s board in late 2023.
Her departure comes on the heels of other key figures leaving, such as co-founders Greg Brockman and John Schulman. This leadership shake-up has created further uncertainty around the company’s future direction.
Murati, a Dartmouth-educated engineer with deep expertise in AI, is expected to remain influential in the AI space, particularly in ensuring that this rapidly evolving technology is developed ethically. Only time will tell what this leadership change means for OpenAI’s future.
Murati’s full statement, shared with the team, reflects her gratitude for the opportunity and her optimism about the company’s direction beyond her tenure.
“I have something to share with you. After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAl. My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAl team have been an extraordinary privilege. While I’ll express my gratitude to many individuals in the coming days, I want to start by thanking Sam and Greg for their trust in me to lead the technical organization and for their support throughout the years,” Mira said on X.
Responding to Mira Murati’s departure, Sam Altman posted on X that he had expressed his gratitude to Murati in a message to the entire company.
“It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally,” Altman wrote. “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.”
I replied with this. Mira, thank you for everything.
It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally.
I feel tremendous gratitude towards her for what she has helped us build and accomplish, but I most of all feel personal…
— Sam Altman (@sama) September 25, 2024
Murati, originally from Albania, joined OpenAI in 2018 after a stint at Tesla. At OpenAI, she led the teams responsible for two of its most groundbreaking products: ChatGPT and the DALL-E image generator.
Beyond her leadership role, Murati became a prominent public figure for OpenAI, frequently representing the company in interviews and promotional videos, further solidifying her influence in the AI industry.
Below is the full memo Mira sent to the OpenAI staff:
“Hi all,
I have something to share with you. After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAl.
My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAl team have been an extraordinary privilege. While I’ll express my gratitude to many individuals in the coming days, I want to start by thanking Sam and Greg for their trust in me to lead the technical organization and for their support throughout the years.
There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right. Our recent releases of speech-to-speech and OpenAl o1 mark the beginning of a new era in interaction and intelligence – achievements made possible by your ingenuity and craftsmanship. We didn’t merely build smarter models, we fundamentally changed how Al systems learn and reason through complex problems.
We brought safety research from the theoretical realm into practical applications, creating models that are more robust, aligned, and steerable than ever before. Our work has made cutting-edge Al research intuitive and accessible, developing technology that adapts and evolves based on everyone’s input. This success is a testament to our outstanding teamwork, and it is because of your brilliance, your dedication, and your commitment that OpenAl stands at the pinnacle of Al innovation.
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.
I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to build and work alongside this remarkable team. Together, we’ve pushed the boundaries of scientific understanding in our quest to improve human well-being.
While I may no longer be in the trenches with you, I will still be rooting for you all.
With deep gratitude for the friendships forged, the triumphs achieved, and most importantly, the challenges overcome together.
Mira”
