OpenAI HR chief Julia Villagra to exit the company

Villagra joined OpenAI as head of human resources in February of 2024, and joined the company’s C-suite earlier this year.

OpenAI Chief People Officer Julia Villagra is leaving the artificial intelligence company effective Friday, vacating a key role at a time when the AI industry is scrambling to attract talent.

The company is currently looking for a new person to fill the role, a spokesperson said on Thursday.

In an internal Slack message, Villagra said she’s departing to “pursue a passion she’s developed at OpenAI; using art, music, and storytelling to help people better understand the transition to AGI.”

AGI, or artificial general intelligence, is a hypothetical threshold at which AI will outperform humans at a range of tasks.

Reuters earlier reported the news of Villagra’s departure.

Villagra joined OpenAI as head of human resources in February of 2024, and joined the company’s C-suite earlier this year.

The leadership change at OpenAI coincides with a fierce competition for talent among AI companies. Earlier this year, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman said that rival Meta Platforms Inc. had offered some of Altman’s employees signing bonuses as high as $100 million.

Many companies believe that hiring and retaining the best researchers is one of the only ways to make gains in the AI landscape.