Charles Esther
OpenAI has officially announced that Fidji Simo, the current chair and CEO of Instacart, will be joining the artificial intelligence powerhouse later this year.
She will take on the role of CEO of Applications, a newly defined position that brings together OpenAI’s business and operational units.
Sam Altman Remains CEO of OpenAI
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s cofounder and current CEO, made the announcement via an internal message to employees, later published on OpenAI’s blog and shared on X.
Altman confirmed that he will retain his role as CEO of OpenAI while shifting more of his focus toward critical areas like research, compute infrastructure, and safety.
A Strategic Shift in Leadership
Altman described the restructuring as an opportunity to sharpen the organization’s mission, especially as it steers closer to superintelligence.
He praised Simo for her contributions to the company since she joined the OpenAI board in March 2024.
“Fidji is exceptional,” Altman wrote on X.
“We have worked together on OpenAI for the past year and I have observed her deep commitment to our mission.”
Fidji Simo Brings a Strong Tech Background
Before leading Instacart, Simo had an impressive run in Silicon Valley.
She began her career at eBay and later moved to Meta, where she played a key role in overseeing Facebook’s main app and its advertising business.
She joined Instacart’s board in January 2021 and became its CEO in August of the same year.
Smooth Transition Planned at Instacart
In her own X post on Thursday, Simo expressed her excitement about joining OpenAI and continuing to support Instacart during the transition.
She confirmed that she would stay on as CEO of Instacart for the next few months and retain her position as chair of the board afterward.
“I’m so grateful to my Instacart team for the amazing ride we had together,” she wrote.
“I look forward to supporting the next CEO during the transition.”
Subsidiary Role to Focus on Application Development
The Applications unit within OpenAI is responsible for how the company’s cutting-edge research is transformed into real-world products and services.
With Simo at the helm, OpenAI aims to strengthen its portfolio of consumer and enterprise-facing tools, including the popular ChatGPT product line.
Altman Optimistic About Scaling OpenAI’s Vision
Altman voiced his confidence in Simo’s leadership.
He said her appointment would help scale OpenAI’s applications to 10x or even 100x their current impact.
He emphasized the importance of having someone of her calibre to lead OpenAI’s interface with the world.
Conclusion
With Simo’s arrival, OpenAI is strategically positioning itself to scale its innovations while ensuring that its core mission remains protected.
This leadership expansion signifies a pivotal step toward managing growth responsibly while maintaining focus on the safe development of AI.
