OpenAI robot leader resigns, possibly due to concerns over lack of safety measures in AI collaboration with the Pentagon

Odaily Planet Daily reports that Caitlin Kalinowski, head of the OpenAI robot team, has announced her resignation due to controversy over the company’s AI collaboration agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon). Kalinowski stated on social media that AI indeed plays an important role in national security, but issues such as domestic surveillance without judicial oversight and lethal autonomous weapons without human authorization require more careful discussion. Kalinowski joined OpenAI in November 2024, after previously leading augmented reality glasses projects at Meta. She emphasized that her departure is “a matter of principle, not personal,” and expressed continued respect for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the team. She further pointed out that the company did not sufficiently establish governance and safety guardrails before announcing the partnership, and decision-making was too rushed. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed her departure to the media and stated that the collaboration with the Pentagon aims to responsibly use AI in national security, with clear red lines including no domestic surveillance and no development of autonomous weapons systems. However, the partnership has still sparked controversy in the industry. Data shows that after the announcement, the uninstall rate of ChatGPT surged by about 295%, and Anthropic’s Claude app topped the US App Store free charts. (TechCrunch)