John Schulman Leaves OpenAI, Citing Desire to Focus on AI Alignment

The Departure of a Co-Founder

John Schulman, one of the co-founders of OpenAI, has left the company to pursue new opportunities at rival AI startup Anthropic. This news comes as a surprise to many in the industry, given the significant contributions Schulman made to OpenAI’s research and development.

OpenAI President Greg Brockman Takes Leave

In addition to Schulman’s departure, OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman has announced that he will be taking an extended leave of absence through the end of the year. This decision is said to be a result of Brockman needing time to "relax and recharge" after nine years at the company.

Greg Brockman’s Statement on Twitter

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

The Departure of Peter Deng

Peter Deng, a product manager who joined OpenAI last year after leading products at Meta, Uber, and Airtable, has also exited the company. This news was confirmed by OpenAI, although it is unclear what led to his departure.

OpenAI’s Statement on the Departures

A spokesperson for OpenAI shared a statement regarding the departures: "We’re grateful for John’s contributions as a founding team member at OpenAI and his dedicated efforts in advancing alignment research. His passion and hard work have established a strong foundation that will inspire and support future innovations at OpenAI and the broader field."

John Schulman’s Decision to Leave

Schulman stated that he was leaving OpenAI due to a desire to deepen his focus on AI alignment – the science of ensuring AI behaves as intended. He expressed interest in engaging in more hands-on technical work, which he believes can be achieved at Anthropic.

"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," Schulman said. "I am confident that OpenAI and the teams I was part of will continue to thrive without me."

Schulman’s Background

Schulman’s involvement with OpenAI began shortly after he completed his PhD in electrical engineering and computer sciences at UC Berkeley. He played a pivotal role in creating the AI-powered chatbot platform ChatGPT by leading OpenAI’s reinforcement training org, which fine-tunes generative AI models to follow human instructions.

Schulman’s Departure from OpenAI

Following the departure of AI safety researcher Jan Leike (who also now works at Anthropic), Schulman became the head of OpenAI’s alignment science efforts, also known as the ‘post-training’ team. He was also a member of OpenAI’s recently formed safety committee; it is unclear who might replace Schulman in that role.

The Impact of Schulman’s Departure

Despite the controversies surrounding OpenAI, particularly with regard to the company’s approach to and treatment of AI safety research, Schulman stated that he wasn’t leaving OpenAI due to a lack of support. "Company leaders have been very committed to investment in [alignment research]," Schulman said.

"My decision to leave OpenAI is not related to any dissatisfaction with the company or its mission," Schulman clarified. "I am grateful for the opportunities I had while working at OpenAI, and I am excited about the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."

The Future of OpenAI

Schulman’s departure marks a significant loss for OpenAI, given his contributions to the company’s research and development. However, it is unclear what this means for the future of the company.

Will OpenAI continue to thrive without Schulman at the helm? Only time will tell.

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What Does This Mean for the Industry?

The departure of John Schulman from OpenAI marks a significant shift in the industry. It remains to be seen how this will impact the future of OpenAI and the broader field of artificial intelligence.

One thing is certain, however: the development and deployment of AI-powered technologies are becoming increasingly complex and challenging. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how companies like OpenAI and Anthropic adapt and innovate in response to these challenges.

Stay Tuned for More Updates

For the latest news and updates on the departure of John Schulman from OpenAI, stay tuned to TechCrunch’s AI section. We’ll have more information and analysis as this story continues to unfold.