OpenAI Hires Instacart's Simo

OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo, the current CEO of Instacart, as the CEO of OpenAI applications. Simo, who has been an OpenAI board member since March 2024, will transition to her new role later this year, reporting directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Her responsibilities will focus on strengthening OpenAI's application-focused initiatives, including ChatGPT and other consumer-facing AI applications. She has also been a Shopify board member since December 2021.

Sam Altman will continue as the CEO of OpenAI, shifting his focus towards research, compute, and safety as the company progresses towards achieving "superintelligence". OpenAI's Applications group unifies existing business and operational teams, ensuring research effectively benefits the world. Simo's appointment is expected to bolster OpenAI's efforts in delivering AI solutions to consumers.

Simo's move highlights the increasing importance of application development within OpenAI as it seeks to translate its research advancements into tangible products. Her experience at Instacart, coupled with her existing involvement with OpenAI, positions her well to lead this critical area.