OpenAI Faces Talent Exodus as 12 Key Figures Depart in 2025

OpenAI has experienced a significant talent exodus in 2025, losing at least twelve key executives and researchers. This includes a notable shift of more than seven scientists to Meta’s Superintelligence Lab during the summer months. The departures follow a year marked by a series of high-profile resignations, with prominent figures leaving as the company underwent restructuring.

Among the most significant exits, OpenAI’s chief technology officer, Mira Murati, and chief research officer, Bob McGrew, were part of the leadership team that departed in 2024. Now, only Sam Altman, the current CEO, remains from the original eleven-person founding team, highlighting the turbulence within the organization.

Key Departures to Meta

The summer of 2025 saw a wave of talent moving to Meta, as the tech giant seeks to bolster its AI capabilities. Among those who transitioned was Jason Wei, a research scientist who played a crucial role in developing OpenAI’s o1 and deep research models. He joined Meta’s Superintelligence Lab in July, alongside fellow researchers Zhiqing Sun and Hyung Won Chung. Chung expressed excitement on LinkedIn, noting, “We are having so much fun building from a clean slate with a truly talent-dense team.”

Another significant move was that of Shengjia Zhao, who became the chief scientist at Meta’s Superintelligence Lab after co-creating ChatGPT and GPT-4 at OpenAI. His new role puts him in direct collaboration with Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang. Jiahui Yu, known for leading OpenAI’s Perception team, also departed in late June to join Meta.

The trend of attrition continued with Hongyu Ren and Shuchao Bi, both of whom were integral to OpenAI’s research on models like GPT-4o and reinforcement learning. Their transition to Meta underscores the competitive landscape in AI research, where companies are actively recruiting top talent to enhance their capabilities.

Other Notable Exits from OpenAI

Beyond the researchers, OpenAI has seen other influential figures resign. Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, resigned from the OpenAI board in November 2025 following the emergence of controversial emails between him and the late Jeffrey Epstein.

Additionally, Julia Villagra stepped down as chief people officer in August, just months after being promoted to the role. Former vice president of research Liam Fedus left in March to co-found a startup called Periodic Labs, which aims to develop an AI scientist. Tom Cunningham, who served as OpenAI’s data scientist and economic researcher, resigned in November to join a non-profit focused on evaluating AI models.

Towards the end of the year, Hannah Wong, OpenAI’s chief communications officer, announced her departure, stating she was ready to embark on her “next chapter.” Wong’s exit adds to the list of high-profile resignations that have characterized OpenAI’s recent history.

This series of departures raises questions about the future direction of OpenAI as it navigates a competitive AI landscape. The loss of such significant talent may impact the company’s research and development initiatives, particularly as it strives to maintain its leadership position in artificial intelligence innovation.