Fidji Simo, a key executive at OpenAI, is stepping down from her full-time role at the artificial intelligence company due to a chronic illness, a move that comes as OpenAI prepares for its initial public offering. Simo announced her decision on Thursday, citing a neuroimmune condition that has worsened.
"This has been one of the hardest decisions of my career, but my body left me no choice—my symptoms became as loud as I am stubborn," Simo wrote on the social platform X. She had been on an extended medical leave since April, when she first disclosed that her condition had worsened.
Simo's departure marks the latest in a string of high-profile exits from OpenAI. Earlier this year, Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap moved to a role focused on "special projects." Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch and research head Kevin Weil also departed the company in the spring.
Simo's responsibilities will be divided among President Greg Brockman, CFO Sarah Friar, and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, according to internal communications. Before her leave, Simo was instrumental in expanding OpenAI's focus on developing business-oriented coding tools, a market segment where rival Anthropic had gained prominence. She also spearheaded initial efforts for OpenAI's coding-focused "superapp," which launched on Friday, and managed the scaling back of projects like the video generator app Sora.
Simo had been slated for expanded roles following OpenAI's anticipated IPO, which is expected as soon as this year. She joined OpenAI in August, taking on significant managerial duties from CEO Sam Altman and overseeing the chief financial and chief revenue officers. She had previously served as CEO of Instacart and held a top executive position at Facebook, experience that positioned her to lead OpenAI's consumer-facing business divisions.
In an effort to compete more effectively with Anthropic's specialized business coding tools, OpenAI intensified its efforts in that market. Simo had also been tasked with accelerating ChatGPT's growth, introducing features such as advertising and health advice to the chatbot. She had initially planned to transition to a part-time advisory role, but her decision to step down from full-time duties was precipitated by the severity of her health issues.