- Newly appointed CEO of Applications, Fidji Simo, to Enhance application-oriented Projects
- Fidji Simo to report directly to CEO Sam Altman
- Fidji Simo has over a decade of experience at Facebook
OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo as its new Chief Executive Officer of Applications, reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman. Fidji, who has been on OpenAI's Board since March 2024, will enhance application-oriented projects like ChatGPT and consumer-oriented AI applications. She will transition from her role in the coming months.
Present CEO Sam Altman states that he would remain the CEO of OpenAI and focus on accelerating research, compute, and safety, which are necessary for 'superintelligence'. He says, "I will work closely with our board, making sure our non-profit has maximum positive impact."
On her appointment, Fidji mentions, "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before, and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good."
In addition to this, CEO Sam Altman notes, "Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world. Simo will focus on enabling our 'traditional' company functions to scale as we enter the next phase of growth."
Fidji Simo, a French American Businesswoman, took Instacart public in 2024, breaking the longest tech IPO drought in three decades. She currently serves as CEO of Instacart and has been on the OpenAI and Shopify boards. Simo has over 10 years of experience at Facebook.
OpenAI's nonprofit will retain control of the company despite restructuring into a public benefit corporation, following pressure from civic leaders and ex-employees. The company faces a legal battle with ex-co-founder Elon Musk, who now runs rival xAI, to prevent it from becoming a for-profit company.
