OpenAI’s critical post-training team has undergone significant leadership changes, with machine learning researcher Liam Fedus now at the helm after three leaders cycled through the position in just six months. This team plays a pivotal role in preparing AI models for public release, making it one of the most important functions within the company.
Fedus brings impressive credentials to the role. He was part of the original research group that developed ChatGPT, the chatbot that revolutionized public perception of AI capabilities. Reflecting on ChatGPT’s unexpected success in 2023, Fedus acknowledged the skepticism surrounding general-purpose chatbots, noting that “the odds were stacked against us” given numerous prior failed attempts. More recently, Fedus was among seven OpenAI researchers who developed Strawberry, an advanced reasoning model representing a significant leap forward in AI capabilities. These models can think through complex problems and complete tasks they haven’t previously encountered.
Fedus’s academic background is notably diverse. He began studying physics at MIT, working on a directional dark matter detector, before briefly working as an equity research associate at Fidelity. He completed his MS in physics at UC San Diego, collaborating with scientists at the large hadron collider in Switzerland, then earned a PhD in computer science from the University of Montreal with a focus on machine learning. Before joining OpenAI in 2022, he worked as a research scientist at Google Brain, the division responsible for many foundational AI technological advances.
The post-training stage is crucial for OpenAI’s product pipeline. This phase involves taking trained machine learning models and refining their performance and efficiency to meet real-world standards. While perhaps less glamorous than frontier research, the post-training team serves as an essential checkpoint that all OpenAI products must pass through before reaching consumers. This function becomes increasingly critical as OpenAI transitions from a research-focused startup to a global corporation pursuing profitability.
Fedus assumed leadership following the departure of Barret Zoph, who left last month alongside CTO Mira Murati and VP of Research Bob McGrew. High-profile safety researcher Miles Brundage also announced his departure. These exits follow months of internal tensions regarding the balance between safety considerations and commercial pressures in developing advanced AI—conflicts that culminated in CEO Sam Altman’s dramatic ouster and reinstatement last November. Zoph himself had only taken over in August after co-founder John Schulman departed to join rival Anthropic. OpenAI has not commented on these leadership changes.
Key Quotes
We were definitely surprised how well it was received. There have been so many prior attempts at a general-purpose chatbot that I knew the odds were stacked against us.
Liam Fedus reflected on ChatGPT’s unexpected success in a 2023 MIT Technology Review interview. This quote reveals the uncertainty even among OpenAI’s own researchers about whether their chatbot would break through where so many others had failed, making ChatGPT’s revolutionary impact all the more remarkable.
Our Take
Fedus’s rapid ascent to leading one of OpenAI’s most critical teams—in less than two years at the company—speaks volumes about both his capabilities and OpenAI’s urgent need for stable leadership. His unique background, spanning theoretical physics, Wall Street finance, and cutting-edge AI research, positions him well to bridge the gap between pure research and commercial viability that has proven so challenging for OpenAI.
However, the revolving door of post-training leaders raises serious questions about whether organizational dysfunction rather than individual performance is the root problem. The fact that accomplished researchers like Schulman and Zoph couldn’t or wouldn’t stay suggests systemic issues that one person, however talented, may struggle to resolve. The real test will be whether Fedus can maintain the delicate balance between safety, quality, and the commercial pressures that have driven so many colleagues to exit. His success or failure will likely determine whether OpenAI can sustain its competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded AI marketplace.
Why This Matters
This leadership turbulence at OpenAI reveals the mounting pressures facing the AI industry’s most prominent company as it navigates the challenging transition from research lab to commercial powerhouse. The post-training team’s instability is particularly concerning because this group serves as the final quality control checkpoint before AI products reach millions of users worldwide.
The rapid succession of leaders—three in six months—suggests deeper organizational challenges at OpenAI, likely stemming from the ongoing tension between safety-focused researchers and commercially-minded executives. This conflict isn’t unique to OpenAI but represents a fundamental challenge across the AI industry: how to responsibly develop and deploy increasingly powerful AI systems while meeting investor expectations and market demands.
Fedus’s appointment is significant because his background bridges both cutting-edge research (ChatGPT, Strawberry) and practical implementation. His success or failure in stabilizing this critical team will likely influence OpenAI’s ability to maintain its market leadership as competitors like Anthropic, Google, and Meta intensify their efforts. The outcome will also signal whether OpenAI can resolve its internal cultural conflicts and establish a sustainable path forward in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
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