Fidji Simo steps down as head of OpenAI’s AGI division due to illness

Fidji Simo stepped down as head of OpenAI's AGI direction due to illness

On July 9, 2026, Fidji Simo left her full-time position as head of OpenAI's AGI direction and moved to work as a part-time advisor due to health issues. In April, she announced a medical leave related to a neuroimmune disease shortly after being appointed to the new position.

What happened at OpenAI

OpenAI confirmed staffing changes in the AGI direction following Simo's statement on social network X. She is no longer leading this direction on a full-time basis, but will continue to cooperate with the company as an advisor. This allows Simo to maintain her connection to OpenAI projects while reducing her workload.

• Fidji Simo announced the transition to advisor status on July 9, 2026
• In April 2026, she took medical leave
• Simo attributed the leave to a neuroimmune disease
• Before leading the AGI direction, Simo was CEO of applied products at OpenAI

Simo received the position of head of the AGI direction shortly before her medical leave. At OpenAI, she was responsible for work related to creating artificial general intelligence, which should be able to handle a wide range of tasks at or above human level.

Who else left leadership

Simo's transition to part-time work was not the first notable change in OpenAI's leadership during this period. Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap also left his position to focus on "special projects" within the company.

OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer Kate Roach left her position due to health reasons. She planned to return to the company in a narrower role after recovery. Thus, several OpenAI leaders changed their roles, although the reasons and format of these changes vary.

"Part-time advisor" — this is how

Simo described her new role at OpenAI.

Simo previously led OpenAI's applied products, which are directions responsible for the company's user-facing services. Her transition to the AGI direction reflected OpenAI's attempt to separate work on long-term research and development of mass products. Now the AGI block remains without a permanent leader publicly announced by the company.

What it means

For OpenAI, Simo's departure from a leadership position means another reshuffle in top management during active work on AGI. However, she does not completely sever relations with the company: the transition to an advisor role preserves the possibility of her participation in key projects without the previous full-time workload.