OpenAI VP Jerry Tworek steps down to chase new research paths

Technology Jan 07, 2026

Jerry Tworek, a longtime researcher and VP at OpenAI, just announced he's leaving after nearly seven years.
He shared on X that he wants to explore research directions that are increasingly difficult to pursue within OpenAI's present priorities, marking a big change for both him and the company.

What Tworek brought to OpenAI

Since joining in 2019, Tworek played a major role in building smarter AI models.
He helped create the o1 model (which topped LiveBench for tough tasks), worked on Codex—the tech behind GitHub Copilot—and boosted coding skills in GPT-4 and ChatGPT.
His exit signals a new chapter for both his career and OpenAI's future direction.