OpenAI CTO Mira Murati resigns: Was once Elon Musk’s aide, played key role in ChatGPT rollout

If you have been following OpenAI’s developments as a company, you would know who Mira Murati is. As CTO, she has been instrumental in the company’s decision-making, helping develop the ChatGPT product, and even led the charge against the company’s board when it ousted Sam Altman last year. However, Murati is now reportedly leaving OpenAI, stepping down amid her bid to “create the time and space to do my own exploration.”

In her departure, Murati expressed her gratitude towards the company, which she joined in 2018, saying, “There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right.”

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Who Is Mira Murati: Education, Descent And Past Jobs

Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks to become CTO of the Microsoft-backed tech giant in 2022. Interestingly, Murati is not of Indian descent, as many believe, or as her name may suggest. Mira Murati was born in San Francisco and is of Albanian descent.

Murati also studied in the US. She became an engineer after completing her Bachelor of Engineering degree from Dartmouth College. She is highly experienced, having worked as a Summer Analyst at Goldman Sachs and later with Elon Musk at Tesla between 2013 and 2016. At Tesla, Murati reportedly contributed significantly to the development of the Tesla Model X. After her stint at electric carmaker Tesla, she eventually joined OpenAI in 2018 as the VP of Applied AI & Partnerships.

During her time at OpenAI, Murati successfully launched ChatGPT, which has become the most popular AI chatbot today, alongside other AI tools like DALL-E. And, as for what’s next, Murati said that she wants to take her time, and create a space to explore.

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Murati Played a Key Role in Bringing Back Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI

After Sam Altman’s brief exit from OpenAI, Murati temporarily took charge as CEO while vocally supporting Altman. Altman eventually returned, opting not to join Microsoft as the CEO of what would have been an independent AI division.

And unlike what some may believe, Murati is not leaving due to issues with the company. In fact, she shared a farewell message expressing her gratitude. “For now, my primary focus is doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the momentum we’ve built,” Murati said.

She also thanked Altman and Greg Brockman, saying, “My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAl team have been an extraordinary privilege. While I’ll express my gratitude to many individuals in the coming days, I want to start by thanking Sam and Greg for their trust in me to lead the technical organization and for their support throughout the years.”

Altman was quick to express his appreciation for Murati’s contributions. Writing on X, Altman said, “It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally.” He added, “I feel tremendous gratitude towards her for what she has helped us build and accomplish, but I most of all feel personal gratitude towards her for the support and love during all the hard times. I am excited for what she’ll do next.”

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