Mira Murati to John Schulman: Why recent leadership exodus at OpenAI signals bigger problems

The departure of Mira Murati, OpenAI’s chief technology officer (CTO), has sent shock waves through the tech world, signalling deeper challenges within the AI giant. Murati, who played a central role in the company’s product rollouts, leaves amid growing tension between technical safety and commercial pressures. Her resignation follows an intense period marked by rapid AI developments and internal conflicts over product readiness.
Murati had become a key figure in OpenAI, leading high-profile launches like GPT-4o. However, this role placed her at the centre of conflicts between research teams, focused on mitigating risks, and the commercial arm, eager to keep OpenAI at the forefront of the AI race. The friction became especially apparent with the rollout of GPT-4o and the more recent o1 model, which some internal teams argued were released prematurely to keep up with competitors like Google, according to a report by Fortune.
John Schulman, a co-founder of OpenAI, has also left the company, signalling that Murati’s exit is not an isolated incident. His departure, alongside other senior executives like Bob McGrew, chief research officer, points to a broader leadership shift within the company. The exodus of long-serving researchers hints at underlying tensions regarding OpenAI’s direction, particularly its evolution from a research-driven nonprofit into a high-stakes, profit-focused enterprise.
On top of that, the pressure to stay ahead of rivals like Google and Meta has spurred OpenAI to push out products rapidly. However, according to reports, this accelerated pace has come at a cost. In the case of GPT-4o, reportedly, internal teams had just nine days to conduct safety assessments, a timeline that many employees felt was insufficient to ensure the model met OpenAI’s own safety thresholds. Murati, known for occasionally delaying product launches to allow for more testing, was reportedly unable to intervene this time, leading to friction between teams and further fuelling the internal rift.
The leadership exodus raises questions about the sustainability of OpenAI’s rapid growth. While the company is pushing toward significant business milestones — like raising $7 billion in a new funding round — these internal tensions may cast doubt on its long-term stability. Investors might be wary of a company where executive turnover is becoming more common and internal conflicts over safety and innovation remain unresolved.
Altman’s reassurances, including his claim that Murati, McGrew, and Zoph left “independently and amicably,” have done little to quell concerns about the company’s culture. Many within OpenAI feel that its transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity has created a divide between its original mission of ensuring the ethical development of AI and its new focus on maintaining a competitive edge in a fast-paced market.
Meanwhile, the company is once again facing a lawsuit from Elon Musk. Early in August, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman, his co-founder at OpenAI, and the company’s president, Greg Brockman, accusing them of breach of contract and fraud. This was the second time Musk filed this lawsuit after he withdrew the lawsuit the first time. The latest lawsuit reportedly claimed acts of “betrayal and deceit on a Shakespearean scale.” Filed in the Northern District of California, Musk alleged that Altman shifted OpenAI’s goals to prioritise personal financial gain for himself and his associates, diverging from the company’s original mission.
Ultimately, the departures of Murati and Schulman represent more than just a leadership shake up; they reflect deeper tensions within OpenAI. The company’s rapid expansion, coupled with the race to commercialise AI, appears to be straining its internal cohesion, potentially threatening its future as a leader in AI innovation.