OpenAI experienced a significant talent loss in 2025, with at least twelve researchers and executives leaving the company, predominantly to join Meta’s Superintelligence Lab. This trend reflects ongoing challenges within OpenAI, particularly following a restructuring that led to high-profile departures in the previous year.
Among those who departed in 2025, more than half a dozen researchers transitioned to Meta during the summer. This shift is part of Meta’s billion-dollar initiative to strengthen its AI capabilities. Notably, the departures included key figures such as the chief people officer and the chief communications officer, marking a notable reshaping of OpenAI’s leadership.
Key Departures to Meta
Several prominent researchers and scientists made the move to Meta, further enhancing the latter’s AI team.
Jason Wei, who contributed to advanced research models at OpenAI, left for Meta’s Superintelligence Lab in July. His departure was part of a larger wave that also included Zhiqing Sun, who joined in the same month.
Another notable exit was Shengjia Zhao, who became the chief scientist at Meta’s Superintelligence Lab. Zhao had previously co-created ChatGPT and GPT-4, directly collaborating with Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang.
Additionally, Jiahui Yu, recognized for leading the Perception team at OpenAI, departed for Meta in late June, while Hyung Won Chung celebrated his move by posting on LinkedIn about enjoying the new opportunities at Meta. Other researchers such as Hongyu Ren and Shuchao Bi also joined Meta, contributing their expertise in areas like reinforcement learning and advanced AI models.
Notable Executive Departures
The talent drain at OpenAI wasn’t limited to researchers. In November, Larry Summers, a former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, resigned from the board following the release of controversial emails related to Jeffrey Epstein.
In August, Julia Villagra resigned as chief people officer after just five months in the role. Additionally, Liam Fedus, who had been the vice president of research, left in March to co-found Periodic Labs, an AI startup focused on developing an AI scientist.
The exodus continued with Tom Cunningham, who resigned in November from his role as a data scientist to join a non-profit research institute, Model Evaluation and Threat Research, which evaluates AI models’ capabilities and safety.
Finally, just before the year’s end, Hannah Wong, the chief communications officer, announced her departure for her “next chapter,” leaving the interim leadership to Lindsey Held Bolton while OpenAI searches for a new CCO.
The series of departures raises questions about the future direction of OpenAI, especially as CEO Sam Altman remains one of only two active members from the original 11-person founding team. As OpenAI navigates these changes, the company faces the challenge of maintaining its innovative edge in a competitive landscape where retaining top talent is crucial.
