Miles Brundage, OpenAI's Senior Advisor for AGI Readiness, announced he will leave the artificial intelligence company this week to pursue independent policy research. His departure marks the end of a six-year tenure during which he shaped many of OpenAI's key deployment and safety practices.
"I want to impact and influence AI's development from outside the industry rather than inside," Brundage wrote in announcing his decision. He cited growing constraints on publishing research and a desire to be an independent voice in AI policy discussions as key factors in his departure.
At OpenAI, Brundage led initiatives including the company's external red teaming program and its first system cards - detailed reports documenting AI model capabilities and limitations. He most recently served as an advisor to OpenAI's executives and board on the company's readiness to handle increasingly powerful AI systems.
Looking ahead, Brundage plans to launch a nonprofit focused on AI policy research and advocacy. His areas of interest include AI progress assessment, safety regulation, economic impacts, and what he calls "AI grand strategy" - developing frameworks for ensuring artificial intelligence benefits humanity broadly.
Brundage's exit comes amid broader leadership changes at OpenAI. Since late September, several executives including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew have stepped down from their roles. The company's president Greg Brockman is currently on sabbatical.
Despite his departure, Brundage expressed continued optimism about OpenAI's mission. "Working at OpenAI is one of the most impactful things that most people could hope to do," he noted, while emphasizing his belief that some policy work may be better conducted from outside the industry.
OpenAI has not yet announced who will take over Brundage's responsibilities. The company's Economic Research team will move under new Chief Economist Ronnie Chatterji, while other projects will be distributed across different teams.