OpenAI’s Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati has announced her resignation from the company after six and a half years.
OpenAI is the company behind leading generative AI platform ChatGPT. Murati’s exit comes at the same time as the resignations of the company’s Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Vice President of Research Barret Zoph.
“There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right,” Murati wrote in statement.
“I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration.”
Murati has been a key figure in the development of ChatGPT and the AI generator Dall-E. She is considered one of the most powerful women in AI.
“My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAI team have been an extraordinary privilege,” she said.
“I will be forever 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.”
Last November, Murati was briefly promoted to the interim CEO role during an uneasy period which saw CEO Sam Altman ousted by OpenAI’s board and then quickly reinstated.
Altman acknowledged the role Murati has played in building the company in a response to her statement on X.
“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.”
Murati’s is one of several high-profile departures from OpenAI in recent months. In May, the company’s then chief scientist and co-founder Ilya Sutskever resigned and has since gone on to launch a safety focused AI startup. Former safety leader Jan Leike left in the same month. Meanwhile, co-founder John Schulman resigned in August to join rival company, Anthropic.
Murati’s departure also comes as OpenAI pursues a funding round that could see the company valued at over $150 billion. OpenAI is reportedly pursuing plans to restructure as a for-profit company.