OpenAI Head of Safety Systems Resigns
Johannes Heidecke, OpenAI's head of safety systems, has informed staff of his departure. His exit follows a reorganization aimed at integrating the company's safety and research teams.
Johannes Heidecke, the head of safety systems at OpenAI, has told staff that he is leaving the company. This departure comes after a reorganization within OpenAI that aimed to better integrate its safety and research teams.
In a memo to employees, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen stated that OpenAI's safety teams will now report to Mia Glaese, who is expanding her role as VP of research and alignment to also oversee safety. Saachi Jain, who previously led safety teams, will serve as interim head of safety systems under Glaese.
"The demands on safety continue to increase - we are training models at a much faster cadence, and release cycles have come down greatly in turn," Chen wrote. "As a result, we have bigger coordination challenges around safety today than ever before."
Heidecke's resignation marks another significant change in OpenAI's safety leadership. Earlier this week, chief futurist Joshua Achiam also announced his departure from the company after nine years.