Another Safety Leader Exits OpenAI as Restructuring Continues

OpenAI's head of safety systems, Johannes Heidecke, informed staff this week that he is leaving the company, according to sources familiar with the matter. His exit comes on the heels of a broader reorganization that merged the company's safety and research divisions into a single unit.

In an internal memo obtained by WIRED, chief research officer Mark Chen announced that safety teams will now report to Mia Glaese, who has been promoted to VP of research and safety. Saachi Jain, a former safety team lead, will step in as interim head of safety systems under Glaese. Chen noted that the pace of model training has accelerated dramatically, creating bigger coordination challenges around safety than ever before.

Heidecke, who joined OpenAI in 2021 as an AI safety analyst and took over the safety systems role in 2024, is the latest in a string of safety-focused departures. Earlier this week, chief futurist Joshua Achiam also announced he would leave after nine years. The shakeup coincides with the launch of GPT-5.6, OpenAI's most advanced model yet for coding tasks, though the company has flagged concerning instances of misaligned behavior in the new release.

The leadership changes extend beyond safety. Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of AGI deployment, told staff she would step down after an extended medical leave. Greg Brockman will continue leading product teams and has taken on additional responsibilities for go-to-market strategy. The company says it remains committed to integrating safety work earlier into model development and launch decisions.

Source: Wired