OpenAI Co-Founder John Schulman Joins Rival Firm Anthropic

As an analyst with over two decades of experience in the tech industry, I find John Schulman’s decision to join Anthropic intriguing. His extensive background in AI research and development, particularly in reinforcement learning and ChatGPT, will undoubtedly be a valuable asset to Anthropic as they compete with industry giants like OpenAI.


As a passionate crypto investor and follower of AI developments, I was intrigued to learn about John Schulman’s decision to leave OpenAI, as shared in his recent post on Monday. This move marks a new chapter in his career, as he is now joining Anthropic, an innovative AI startup that counts Amazon among its backers. This shift underscores the exciting and dynamic nature of the AI field, and I can’t wait to see what John contributes to this new venture.

Following a report by The Information on August 5, it has been revealed that there were some changes within OpenAI. Specifically, their product manager, Peter Deng, departed the company quietly, and their president, Greg Brockman, took an extended leave.

OpenAI Co-Founder John Schulman Joins Rival Firm Anthropic

On August 6th, Schulman posted on X (previously known as Twitter) explaining his rationale for his choice. He expressed his desire to devote additional time towards the field of ‘Artificial Intelligence coordination’ and hands-on programming at Anthropic.

Schulman explained that his choice wasn’t influenced by any dissatisfaction with OpenAI’s focus on alignment research, but rather by personal career goals he wanted to pursue.

As a key contributor at OpenAI, I played a pivotal role in the development of ChatGPT, our cutting-edge conversational AI model. My work within the reinforcement learning team was focused on ensuring our AI models could effectively adhere to human instructions, fostering a more intuitive and collaborative interaction experience.

The exit of Schulman holds weight since Anthropic, established by Dario Amodei (former VP of OpenAI) and his sister Daniela in 2021, represents a significant challenge in the AI sector.

Schulman’s departure coincides with a continuing dispute surrounding OpenAI, as Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently initiated a new lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of fraud. Just the day prior to Schulman’s announcement, Musk alleged that Altman deceived him into co-founding OpenAI to further Altman’s personal aims using Musk’s funds and influence.

John Schulman’s transition to Anthropic showcases a significant change in the direction of AI expertise, mirroring the increasing rivalry among leading companies in the field. The leadership adjustments at OpenAI serve as a testament to the continuous shifts happening within prominent AI organizations.

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2024-08-06 10:28