New York — Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of OpenAI and one of the key figures behind the development of groundbreaking technologies like ChatGPT and Dall-E, has officially announced her departure from the company. Murati, who has been with OpenAI for six and a half years, made the announcement on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing deep gratitude for her time at the company.
“My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAI team have been an extraordinary privilege,” Murati shared in her farewell message to the OpenAI team. “There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right.”
Murati’s departure marks the latest in a string of high-profile exits from OpenAI’s leadership team, raising questions about the future direction of the organization. In recent months, OpenAI has been grappling with the complexities of balancing its ambitious growth strategies with internal challenges. The company, originally founded as a non-profit research organization, has evolved into a major player in the artificial intelligence sector. It has also undergone significant restructuring, with a for-profit arm designed to attract investors and boost revenue.
Reports indicate that OpenAI is in the midst of discussions regarding a new fundraising round, which could see the company’s valuation soar to as much as $150 billion. However, this growth trajectory has not been without its controversies, as the company navigates the delicate balance between innovation, ethical considerations, and profit generation. Murati’s departure may fuel speculation about the company’s internal dynamics as it continues to shape the future of artificial intelligence.
Murati’s exit follows the departure of other key figures within OpenAI. In May, OpenAI’s Chief Scientist and co-founder, Ilya Sutskever, left to start a new venture focused on developing safer AI technologies. This was followed by the exit of fellow co-founder John Schulman in August, who joined rival AI company Anthropic. Additionally, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, is currently on extended leave, leaving a noticeable gap in the company’s top leadership.
Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 after working with industry giants Tesla and Ultraleap (formerly known as Leap Motion). Her leadership and technical expertise were crucial during the development and eventual public release of ChatGPT in 2022. This transformative moment placed OpenAI at the forefront of the artificial intelligence arms race, solidifying its position as a leader in the tech industry and sparking increased competition from rivals across Silicon Valley and beyond.
Last year, Murati briefly stepped into the role of interim CEO during a tumultuous period in OpenAI’s leadership. The company’s board of directors removed Sam Altman from his position as CEO, only to restore him to the role after significant internal pressure. Murati, along with over 500 employees, voiced their support for Altman, even threatening to resign if he was not reinstated. Her willingness to stand by her colleagues and her leadership during this chaotic time highlighted her strong influence within the organization.
In her final months at OpenAI, Murati oversaw major technological advancements, most notably the release of GPT-4o in May. This iteration of OpenAI’s model brought human-like spoken conversation capabilities to ChatGPT, further enhancing its interactive capabilities. More recently, she played a pivotal role in the launch of OpenAI o1, a new AI model designed to “reason” through complex problems, particularly in the fields of science and mathematics.
In her farewell note, Murati reflected on the transformative impact of these releases: “Our recent releases of speech-to-speech and OpenAI o1 mark the beginning of a new era of interaction and intelligence. We didn’t merely build smarter models; we fundamentally changed how AI systems learn and reason through complex problems.”
Despite stepping down, Murati has indicated that she will assist with the leadership transition and remains open to future opportunities. She explained her decision to leave as a personal one, stating that she needed “time and space to do [her] own exploration.”
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, responded to her announcement on X with a heartfelt post, acknowledging Murati’s significant contributions to the company: “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 gratitude towards her for the support and love during all the hard times.”
Altman further hinted at upcoming announcements regarding the company’s leadership transition, expressing optimism for what the future holds for Murati in her next ventures.
OpenAI has yet to provide specifics about when a new CTO will be appointed or the exact timeline for Murati’s formal departure. However, the leadership changes within the company underscore the broader challenges it faces as it seeks to scale its operations while staying true to its mission of developing safe and ethical AI systems. This story will continue to be updated as more details emerge about OpenAI’s leadership and strategic direction.
