John Schulman, one of OpenAI’s co-founders, has left the company for rival AI startup Anthropic. Meanwhile, OpenAI president and fellow co-founder Greg Brockman is taking an extended leave through the end of the year to “relax and recharge,” the company confirmed.
Schulman, who played a crucial role in developing ChatGPT and led OpenAI’s reinforcement training organization, announced his departure on social media. He emphasized that his decision was personal, driven by a desire to deepen his focus on AI alignment and engage in more hands-on technical work. Schulman stated, “I’ve decided to pursue this goal at Anthropic, where I believe I can gain new perspectives and do research alongside people deeply engaged with the topics I’m most interested in.”
I shared the following note with my OpenAI colleagues today:
I’ve made the difficult decision to leave OpenAI. This choice stems from my desire to deepen my focus on AI alignment, and to start a new chapter of my career where I can return to hands-on technical work. I’ve decided…
— John Schulman (@johnschulman2) August 6, 2024
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised Schulman’s contributions, saying, “You are a brilliant researcher, a deep thinker about product and society, and mostly, you are a great friend to all of us. We will miss you tremendously and make you proud of this place.”
Brockman, who has been instrumental in turning AI research into large-scale models and products like ChatGPT, is taking time off to “relax and recharge” after nine years with the company. He plans to return after his extended vacation.
I’m taking a sabbatical through end of year. First time to relax since co-founding OpenAI 9 years ago. The mission is far from complete; we still have a safe AGI to build.
— Greg Brockman (@gdb) August 6, 2024
In addition to these high-profile changes, Peter Deng, a product manager who joined OpenAI last year after leadership roles at Meta, Uber, and Airtable, has also left the company.
These departures come at a time of both business momentum and challenges for OpenAI. The company is currently training its next flagship model and recently launched a search engine. However, it’s also facing potential significant financial losses and ongoing personnel changes.
While OpenAI has experienced rapid growth and success, the departures of key figures raise questions about the company’s long-term leadership and direction. With Schulman’s exit, only three of OpenAI’s 11 original founders remain: Altman, Brockman, and Wojciech Zaremba.
