OpenAI Security Chief Departs Amid Company Restructuring

OpenAI’s Head of Security Systems, Johannes Heidecke, has left the company amid a restructuring of the artificial intelligence developer’s research and safety teams. According to a report by Engadget on Saturday (11/7) local time, Johannes informed employees via an internal memo that he would be leaving OpenAI. His LinkedIn profile indicates he joined the company in 2021. OpenAI has appointed Saachi Jain as acting Head of Security Systems to replace Johannes. Jain previously led several teams handling AI safety aspects at the company. OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer, Mark Chen, stated that integrating safety work with model development is crucial for the company. According to Chen, this approach allows the safety team to have a direct and earlier role in shaping decisions related to model development, products, and the launch of new technologies. This organisational restructuring occurred shortly after OpenAI launched its latest AI model, GPT-5.6, which reportedly received approval from the United States government. Despite the change in leadership for the security systems division, OpenAI is retaining the position of Head of Preparedness, which is responsible for preparing mitigation measures against various serious risks that could arise from AI development. The position is filled by an official recruited by the company earlier this year.