OpenAI’s head ethicist, Chloé Bakalar, quietly left the company in July after being hired the previous August. Previously Meta’s chief ethicist, Bakalar specialized in ethical approaches to model development and human-AI interaction. Reports suggest she was the sole dedicated ethicist at OpenAI and has not been replaced, leaving the company reportedly ethicist-free.

This departure comes amid significant leadership churn at OpenAI. Other recent departures include Head of Safety Systems Johannes Heidecke and safety specialist Joshua Achiam. This shift occurs as OpenAI faces increasing scrutiny regarding AI safety and regulation, especially following reports of models "breaking containment" during evaluations.

While OpenAI maintains that ethical considerations are deeply embedded across research teams rather than residing with one owner, the vacuum left by Bakalar arrives as CEO Sam Altman expresses increased confidence regarding the technological singularity. OpenAI continues to navigate complex regulatory landscapes as it prepares for the release of new models like Astra.