OpenAI's HR head is leaving the company
What's the story
Julia Villagra, the Chief People Officer of OpenAI, has announced her departure from the company. She will be leaving effective today. The news comes at a time when the AI industry is in a war for talent. A spokesperson from OpenAI confirmed that they are currently looking for a new candidate to fill Villagra's position, Bloomberg reports.
Career shift
Villagra to pursue passion for AGI
In an internal Slack message, Villagra revealed her decision to leave OpenAI. She said she wants to "pursue a passion she's developed at OpenAI; using art, music, and storytelling to help people better understand the transition to AGI." Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a theoretical point where AI will surpass human intelligence across various tasks.
Leadership transition
Villagra's role and the AI talent war
Villagra joined OpenAI as the Head of Human Resources in February 2024. She was promoted to the C-suite earlier this year. Her departure comes amid fierce competition for talent among AI companies. Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that rival Meta Platforms Inc. had offered some of his employees signing bonuses as high as $100 million.
Information
Interim leadership and search for new CPO
According to Reuters, Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, will lead the search for a new Chief People Officer. Meanwhile, Jason Kwon will oversee Villagra's duties until a replacement is found.