OpenAI shakeup: CTO Mira Murati, 2 top exes log out as Sam Altman-helmed ChatGPT faces tumultuous leadership attrition

OpenAI, the trailblazing artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, is facing a significant leadership shakeup. Mira Murati, the company's chief technology officer who briefly served as interim CEO during last year's tumultuous period, announced her departure on Wednesday, September 26.

"After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI," Murati stated in a written announcement. She explained her decision, saying, "I'm stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration."

The exodus didn't stop there. CEO Sam Altman later revealed that two other top executives -- Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and research leader Barret Zoph -- are also leaving the San Francisco-based company. Altman emphasised that these decisions were made "independently of each other and amicably."

This wave of departures follows a string of high-profile exits from OpenAI in recent months. Greg Brockman, the company's president and co-founder, announced in August that he would be taking a sabbatical until the end of the year. John Schulman, another co-founder, jumped ship to rival Anthropic the same month. In May, Ilya Sutskever, yet another co-founder who led AI safety efforts, left to start his own AI venture.

The turnover has raised eyebrows in the tech world, especially given OpenAI's rapid rise to prominence. The company, which began as a nonprofit research lab, has become a household name thanks to its ChatGPT chatbot.

Despite the departures, Murati spoke warmly of her time at OpenAI, describing it as "at the pinnacle of AI innovation" in a farewell note to colleagues.

What did Sam Altman say?

Altman, for his part, acknowledged the abruptness of the changes while framing them as part of the company's unique trajectory.

"I obviously won't pretend it's natural for this one to be so abrupt, but we are not a normal company," Altman stated in a social media post announcing new roles for six other team members.

The shakeup comes less than a year after a dramatic episode that saw Altman briefly ousted as CEO, with Murati stepping in as interim leader before Altman was reinstated days later.