OpenAI’s AGI Deployment Chief Fidji Simo To Step Down, CEO Sam Altman Reacts

OpenAI’s

AGI deployment chief Fidji Simo has announced that she will step down from her full-time role and move into a part-time advisory position at the company behind ChatGPT. Her announcement comes just hours after the company launched GPT-5.6, its latest flagship AI model, along with ChatGPT Work, a new AI agent designed to complete complex tasks across web, mobile and desktop platforms.In a post on X, Simo said, "Three months ago, ‌I had to go on medical leave after a severe exacerbation of a chronic illness I've lived with for seven years. During that time, it became clear that the road to recovery would be much longer and more complex than I had anticipated - and that I needed to focus on it fully."

Simo joined OpenAI’s board in March 2024, shortly after CEO Sam Altman returned to lead the company again. Before this, she served as CEO of Instacart and also led the Facebook app at Meta."Over the years, doctors, friends, colleagues, and loved ones encouraged me to slow down. Two years after I got sick, Facebook offered me the opportunity to take a full year of medical leave. I didn’t even pause to consider it. I immediately said no. At the time, Zuck told me I should play the long game. I wish I had listened. Looking back, I realize that a lot of what made me successful also made this decision incredibly difficult," she wrote on Elon Musk-owned social media platform.Simo said she believes AI should be used to solve real-world problems that affect people every day. According to her, the biggest opportunities for AI lie in helping people manage their health, finances, time and other daily challenges.Reacting to her decision, Altman said in a post on X, "I am really sad about this and very grateful for all Fidji has done for OpenAI, and even grateful for her friendship and who she is as a person."Her exit comes at a time when the US-based AI startup is expanding its focus on advanced AI technologies. The company has been working on areas like robotics and artificial general intelligence (AGI), while also trying to bring more features into a single super-app experience.According to a Bloomberg report citing an internal memo, her responsibilities will now be divided among OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon.In a LinkedIn post last year, Simo had shared that she was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects the autonomic nervous system.“For now, my focus is recovery. But my belief in the potential of technology to solve deeply human problems has never been stronger,” Simo said.