OpenAI’s head of ethics has quietly departed less than one year after joining the AI research and deployment company, following a number of departures by safety researchers.
Chloé Bakalar stepped into the role in August 2025 and left the company last month without any public announcement.
During her time at OpenAI, Bakalar focused on ethical approaches to model development, human-AI interactions, and debates surrounding machine consciousness.
In previous roles, Bakalar spent several years establishing the foundational AI ethics programs at Meta for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Her departure comes alongside several other high-profile exits at OpenAI in recent weeks, including Johannes Heidecke, head of safety systems, and Joshua Achiam, chief futurist and former head of mission alignment.
A person familiar with her role told the Financial Times that Bakalar was the company’s only dedicated ethicist and that OpenAI has no plans to replace her directly.
In response to her exit, an OpenAI spokesperson expressed gratitude for Bakalar’s contributions, stating that AI ethics does not belong to a single individual or team at the company.
The spokesperson added that ethical considerations remain deeply embedded across multiple research teams involved in the model-building process.
B&T has approached OpenAI for comment.
