12 executives who left OpenAI in 2026

• OpenAI has undergone significant leadership changes, with multiple executives departing in 2026.
• Notable exits include Denise Dresser, Brad Lightcap, and Fidji Simo.
• OpenAI also saw reshuffling in its safety operations and ethics teams.

“Surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got,” Kalinowski wrote on LinkedIn. She later said her objection was primarily about governance and that the agreement had been announced before its safeguards were fully defined.

Kalinowski joined OpenAI in November 2024 after leading Meta’s augmented-reality hardware efforts, including its Orion glasses project. OpenAI said its Pentagon agreement prohibited domestic surveillance and the use of autonomous weapons.