‘This was about principle, not people’—OpenAI’s robotics hardware lead resigns

Caitlin Kalinowski cited concerns about the company’s new agreement with the Pentagon.

[Photo: Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Caitlin Kalinowski, an OpenAI employee who oversaw hardware within the robotics division, is leaving the company. Kalinowski’s decision came shortly after OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon was announced in late February.In a post on social media, Kalinowski explained that the decision was about “principle” in regard to the recent deal. “I care deeply about the Robotics team and the work we built together. This wasn’t an easy call,” Kalinowski wrote. “AI has an important role in national security. But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”

OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon came to fruition after a similar deal with Anthropic fell through. Anthropic refused to let its product be used for mass dometsic surveillance and autonomous weapons systems without proper oversight. 

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