Mira Murati, the Albanian-born Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, has announced her departure from the artificial intelligence firm after more than six years. Murati shared the news in a post on the social media platform X, stating that her decision was driven by a desire for more personal exploration.
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| Mira Murati wearing a white sweater and holding her two hands crossed on the table |
"I'm stepping away to create the space and time needed for my own explorations," she wrote, as Oculus News reports.
During her tenure, Murati oversaw the development of groundbreaking AI technologies, including the widely known ChatGPT. She acknowledged the recent achievements of OpenAI and highlighted the dedication of the team in building a stronger future for AI. Despite her departure, Murati pledged her continued support for the company.
Reacting to her announcement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his gratitude to Murati in a reply on X. "I’ll say more about the transition plans soon, but for now, I want to take a moment to just say thank you," Altman wrote.
I shared the following note with the OpenAI team today. pic.twitter.com/nsZ4khI06P
— Mira Murati (@miramurati) September 25, 2024
Murati's departure follows a significant milestone for OpenAI, which recently secured $6.5 billion in investments, bringing the company's valuation to an estimated $150 billion, depending on the firm's ongoing transition into a corporate structure. It remains unclear if her exit will affect the fundraising campaign. According to A2, a clause in the agreement allows investors to withdraw if significant events that could have a negative impact on the company occur.
Murati’s tenure at OpenAI spanned six and a half years, during which she played a key role in the development of ChatGPT. She briefly served as interim CEO after the board temporarily removed co-founder Sam Altman from his role. According to her LinkedIn profile, she joined OpenAI in December 2020 as Vice President of Applied AI, before being promoted to CTO in May 2022. Prior to her time at OpenAI, she worked for companies in virtual and augmented reality and Tesla.
Her departure marks the latest in a series of high-profile executive exits at OpenAI.