OpenAI CTO Mira Murati exits as company seeks new funding

OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati announced on Wednesday that she is leaving the company after a 6.5-year tenure that saw the rapid development and commercialization of artificial intelligence products like ChatGPT and DALL-E.

“I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration,” Murati said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “For now, my primary focus is doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the momentum we’ve built.”

Murati, who joined OpenAI in 2018, played a key role in guiding the company through significant technological advancements, including the public release of ChatGPT and the development of GPT-4. She also briefly served as interim CEO during a leadership upheaval in November 2023, when Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, was ousted by the company’s board before being reinstated.

Her departure comes amid broader leadership changes at OpenAI, with several high-profile executives exiting in recent months. John Schulman, one of the company’s co-founders, left in August to join AI competitor Anthropic. Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s lead scientist and co-founder, also left in May to focus on building safer AI. Jan Leike, who co-led OpenAI’s superalignment team, departed earlier this year to join Schulman at Anthropic.

Murati’s departure follows news that OpenAI is looking to raise $6.5 billion in new funding, aiming for a valuation of $150 billion. The company, originally founded as a non-profit research lab, has been evolving its business model to attract investors and generate revenue.

In a note to the OpenAI team, which she shared on X, Murati reflected on her time at the company, describing her tenure as “an extraordinary privilege.”

“There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right,” Murati wrote.

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, expressed his appreciation for Murati in a response to her post. “It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally,” Altman said. “I feel tremendous gratitude towards her for what she has helped us build and accomplish.”

The timeline for Murati’s official exit and the appointment of her successor has not been announced.

Murati joined OpenAI after stints at Ultraleap, formerly known as Leap Motion, and Tesla. Her leadership helped steer the company through the AI arms race, making OpenAI one of the most recognized players in the tech world. During her time as CTO, OpenAI launched significant updates to its models, including this month’s preview of OpenAI o1, a new AI model focused on solving complex scientific and mathematical problems.