OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart and former Head of the Facebook App, to lead its Applications division. This leadership change occurs as current CEO Sam Altman shifts his focus towards artificial general intelligence (AGI) research, compute, and safety, which he calls critical for approaching superintelligence. Although Simo will begin her role at OpenAI, she will continue in her position at Instacart through a transition period, eventually becoming the Chair of the board at OpenAI. Altman praised Simo’s commitment to OpenAI’s mission, emphasizing that the restructuring is aimed at scaling the company's operations as it enters a new growth phase. This change also aligns with OpenAI’s shift towards becoming a public benefit corporation, intending to balance investor returns with the public interest. The move reflects broader strategic developments at OpenAI as it navigates leadership and legal adjustments amid scrutiny of its initiatives, including Altman’s biometric identity project, World.

Source 🔗