OpenAI Co-Founder John Schulman Joins Anthropic
- John Schulman, a co-founder of OpenAI, has announced his move to Anthropic, an AI research startup.
- Despite his departure, Schulman stated that OpenAI leaders are still focused on regulating powerful AI technologies.
- This transition highlights ongoing shifts in the artificial intelligence landscape.
In a significant shift within the artificial intelligence landscape, John Schulman, co-founder of OpenAI, announced via a post on X that he will be leaving the Microsoft-backed organization to join Anthropic, an AI startup funded by Amazon. This decision comes shortly after OpenAI disbanded its superalignment team, which was dedicated to ensuring human control over advanced AI systems. Schulman, who has been with OpenAI since earning his Ph.D. in computer science in 2016, expressed a desire to focus more on AI alignment and return to hands-on technical work. Schulman's departure follows a tumultuous period for OpenAI, marked by internal protests and board resignations after the controversial ousting of CEO Sam Altman. Following his reinstatement, Altman and the board faced scrutiny over their commitment to product safety, as highlighted by an independent review from the law firm WilmerHale. Schulman’s move to Anthropic aligns with a broader trend of competition between the two San Francisco-based companies, both striving to develop superior generative AI models. In related developments, OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman announced he would take a sabbatical for the remainder of the year. Meanwhile, Altman revealed ongoing collaborations with the US AI Safety Institute to enhance AI evaluation methodologies, indicating a continued focus on safety in AI development despite recent upheavals within the organization.