OpenAI Safety Team Exodus: Why Key Leaders are Leaving

OpenAI has been losing employees focused on AI safety for months.

Leaders of the superalignment team, Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, have left OpenAI.

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Since November, at least five more safety-conscious employees have quit or been pushed out.

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Many safety-minded employees lost faith in CEO Sam Altman.

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Ex-employee Daniel Kokotajlo quit due to a loss of trust in OpenAI’s responsible handling of AGI.

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Disagreements with OpenAI’s leadership priorities led to Jan Leike’s resignation.

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Employees leaving OpenAI fear its rapid pursuit of powerful AI could be dangerous.

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Altman’s fundraising with autocratic regimes raised safety concerns.

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Seven employees tried to push for greater safety but ultimately left due to loss of faith in leadership.

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The superalignment team is now hollowed out, raising concerns about OpenAI’s future safety focus.

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