Fidji Simo, the chief executive of artificial general intelligence (AGI) deployment at OpenAI, is stepping down from her role following a period of significant medical leave, according to a report by Wired.
Simo, who joined OpenAI in January 2025, will remain with the company as a part-time adviser. The departure represents a notable leadership shift within the team responsible for managing the rollout of advanced AI systems.
Simo’s appointment earlier this year marked a high-profile addition to OpenAI’s executive ranks. She was tasked with overseeing the deployment of AGI, the theoretical point at which AI systems achieve human-level intelligence across a wide range of tasks.
Before joining OpenAI, Simo served as chief executive of Instacart, the grocery delivery platform, where she led the company through its public market debut in 2023. Before that, she spent over a decade at Meta, where she rose to vice president and head of the Facebook app.
Medical Leave and Transition
Details of Simo’s medical leave have not been disclosed. OpenAI has not issued a public statement on her departure or named a replacement for the AGI deployment role.
The position is considered critical as OpenAI continues to develop and release increasingly capable models, including its GPT series and reasoning-focused systems. Managing the societal, ethical, and practical implications of deploying such technology requires coordination across technical, policy, and communications teams.
Leadership Changes at OpenAI
Simo’s departure adds to a series of executive changes at OpenAI over the past year. The company has faced scrutiny over governance, safety protocols, and the pace of its product releases as competition intensifies among AI developers.
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, remains one of the most valuable private companies globally, with a reported valuation exceeding $150 billion. Its products, including ChatGPT, are used by millions of people and integrated into enterprise software worldwide.
The company has not announced whether it will restructure the AGI deployment function or consolidate responsibilities under existing leadership.
What Is AGI?
Artificial general intelligence refers to AI systems that can perform any intellectual task a human can. Unlike narrow AI, which excels at specific functions such as image recognition or language translation, AGI would possess flexible reasoning and learning capabilities across domains.
No company has achieved AGI, though OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic are among those pursuing the goal. The timeline for its development remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from years to decades.
Simo’s advisory role suggests she will continue to contribute to OpenAI’s strategy, though in a reduced capacity. The company has not specified the scope or duration of her advisory term.