Joshua Achiam, OpenAI’s chief futurist, announced he’s leaving the company, with his last day being the 24th. In a farewell letter posted on X, he said there’s no specific reason for his departure, nor was it triggered by any particular event — he just felt after some reflection that he can now continue the mission of safe AGI outside the walls of a frontier lab.
https://twitter.com/jachiam0/status/2074605703281693175?s=46
Achiam joined OpenAI as an intern in 2017 and spent years working on AI safety, eventually leading the mission alignment team. After OpenAI dissolved that team in February, he moved into the role of chief futurist, focusing on how AGI and more advanced AI will affect society, policy, and safety.
In his letter, he described the past nine years as “one decade that went through centuries of change” and said the future depends on the collective choices we make around AGI and superintelligence.
OpenAI hasn’t announced who will take over his role. Achiam is the latest in a string of safety-focused leaders to leave the company in recent years.