Fidji Simo, OpenAI's second-most senior executive and CEO of artificial general intelligence deployment, is stepping down from her full-time role to concentrate on recovering from a chronic illness she has lived with for seven years. Announcing the move in a note on X on Thursday, Simo said a severe flare-up of the condition three months ago forced her onto medical leave, and that her recovery would be longer and more complex than she had expected. Her departure is significant because it removes a key figure from OpenAI's leadership just as the high-profile ChatGPT maker prepares for its public debut.

Simo will move into a part-time role at the company and said she believes AI's greatest potential lies in solving everyday human problems such as health, finances and time. Her leave, which began in April and was prompted by a neuroimmune condition, coincided with other senior changes, including chief marketing officer Kate Roach leaving to recover from cancer and chief operating officer Brad Lightcap shifting to "special projects". Before OpenAI, where she was previously CEO of Applications, Simo led Instacart and headed Facebook at Meta; she recalled turning down Mark Zuckerberg's earlier offer of a year off, adding, "I wish I had listened." Sam Altman praised her contribution and friendship, writing, "We all wish her the best for a speedy recovery. This sucks."