February 11, 2026 OpenAI is losing several senior-level researchers and executives as it redirects resources toward its flagship ChatGPT product, according to recent reports. The departures reflect internal tensions over CEO Sam Altman’s push to prioritise short‑term product performance over longer‑term research projects.
The San Francisco‑based AI startup, valued at about US $500 billion, has shifted computing power, staff time and strategic emphasis toward accelerating improvements to ChatGPT, a move that has unsettled parts of its research organisation. Several key figures, including long‑tenured leaders in core research roles, have left or are exiting amid disagreements over the company’s evolving priorities.
Among those to leave recently are vice‑president of research Jerry Tworek and others who advocated for broader research agendas, according to current and former employees.
The changes began in earnest after OpenAI issued an internal “code red” late last year, telling teams to prioritise speed, personalisation and reliability improvements for ChatGPT over experimental initiatives. That shift has led some researchers to feel their work on areas like advanced reasoning and continuous learning is being sidelined.
Industry observers say the departures highlight a broader tension at OpenAI between its origins as a foundational research lab and its current role as one of Silicon Valley’s most high‑profile tech companies, expected to justify its lofty valuation with tangible product results. Rivals such as Google and Anthropic have intensified AI competition, putting pressure on OpenAI to show rapid improvements in its core offerings.
The loss of senior researchers comes as some experimental teams see their projects de‑prioritised or have their access to computing resources curtailed. Sources familiar with the situation say teams working on video and image generation, autonomous agents and other non‑core areas have struggled to secure the compute they need.
OpenAI’s leadership, however, maintains that foundational research remains central to the company’s mission. A senior research executive recently reiterated that pairing basic science with real‑world deployment accelerates learning and strengthens long‑term research, even as the company pushes to scale ChatGPT’s capabilities.
