In a surprising move, Mira Murati, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of OpenAI, has announced her resignation from the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence startup. Murati’s departure is part of a wave of executive exits at the company, including VP of Research Barret Zoph and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, further signaling significant changes at OpenAI.
Murati, an Albanian-born tech leader, has played a pivotal role in OpenAI’s development over her 6-1/2 years with the company, frequently appearing alongside CEO Sam Altman as one of the public faces of the ChatGPT maker. Notably, she led the launch of GPT-4o in May 2024, showcasing its groundbreaking capabilities in realistic voice conversation technology. Her departure comes at a critical juncture, as OpenAI negotiates a new $6.5 billion funding round, valuing the company at $150 billion.
Murati expressed her decision to leave in a post on X (formerly Twitter), citing her desire to “create the time and space to do my own exploration.” She continues to work at OpenAI as she negotiates her exit, according to sources close to her. Having served as CTO since May 2022, Murati’s contributions have been instrumental in OpenAI’s meteoric rise. Before OpenAI, she held prominent roles at Leap Motion and Tesla.
Murati’s departure follows a string of high-profile executive exits, including John Schulman, who joined rival AI company Anthropic, and co-founder Greg Brockman, who is on sabbatical. Another co-founder, Ilya Sutskever, left OpenAI in May 2024.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, addressed Murati’s resignation on X, stating that she had not informed him in advance but chose this moment because the company was on an “upswing.” Altman also took the opportunity to announce several internal promotions, including Matt Knight as Chief Information Security Officer, Josh Achiam as Head of Mission Alignment, and Mark Chen as Senior Vice President of Research.
Murati’s exit comes during a period of transformation for OpenAI, which is planning to restructure into a for-profit benefit corporation, potentially giving Altman an equity stake in the company. This restructuring could have significant implications for the AI industry, as OpenAI has been a trailblazer in developing cutting-edge technologies like GPT-4 and ChatGPT.
As one of the most influential figures in AI, Mira Murati leaves behind a legacy of leadership and innovation. Her next steps are highly anticipated in the tech world, as her contributions to the AI industry have left an indelible mark.
For Albania, her resignation is a significant moment, with Murati being one of the few Albanians leading major global tech companies. Her journey from working at Tesla to becoming a key figure at OpenAI serves as an inspiration for aspiring tech professionals worldwide.
