In the wake of Sam Altman's abrupt dismissal as CEO of OpenAI, the company has appointed Mira Murati as its interim CEO. Murati's elevation to this critical role comes amid significant changes within OpenAI, but her established presence within the company suggests a smooth transition ahead.

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Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, fired

Background and education

Mira Murati, born in Albania in 1988, embarked on her academic journey at Pearson College UWC in Canada at the age of 16. Her pursuit of engineering led her to Dartmouth College, where she graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. Notably, Murati's undergraduate years were marked by an impressive achievement: building a hybrid racecar. In addition to her academic pursuits, Murati interned at Goldman Sachs, gaining valuable experience in the financial sector.

Professional trajectory

Murati's career is distinguished by her roles in significant tech and engineering companies. Prior to joining OpenAI, she spent three years at Tesla as a senior product manager. During her tenure at the electric vehicle giant, Murati was instrumental in developing the Model X. This role at Tesla is particularly noteworthy given Elon Musk's early involvement with OpenAI.

Murati also brought her engineering expertise to Leap Motion, a start-up specializing in sensor and virtual reality technology, where she served as Vice President of Product and Engineering. Additionally, she gained experience in the aerospace sector, working as an engineer at a French aerospace company.

Joining OpenAI

Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 and quickly established herself as a pivotal figure in the development of groundbreaking AI technology. Her contributions to the creation of ChatGPT marked her as one of the "brains" behind the project. In recognition of her expertise and leadership, she was appointed as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of OpenAI.

During her time as CTO, Murati has been featured in various media outlets, including The Daily Show, where she discussed the potential and challenges of artificial intelligence. Her insights into the governance and policy aspects of AI have been particularly influential.

Leadership and vision

As OpenAI's new interim CEO, Murati brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of both the technological and policy dimensions of AI. In a memo to staff, reviewed by Bloomberg, she expressed her honour and humility at stepping into this leadership role. Murati's focus is on guiding OpenAI through a critical phase of widespread adoption and regulatory deliberation.

Her emphasis on the positive potential of AI and the importance of responsible development and use underscores her vision for the company's future. Murati has reassured employees and stakeholders of her commitment to continuing OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft Corp., its largest investor, as the company navigates this transitional period.