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Caitlin Kalinowski, who managed hardware at OpenAI, announced her resignation on Saturday, citing concerns over the company’s deal with the Department of Defense.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kalinowski expressed that OpenAI didn’t allow enough time before agreeing to deploy its AI models on the Pentagon’s classified cloud networks.
“AI plays a significant role in national security,” she wrote. “But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomous weapons without human approval are lines that needed more thoughtful consideration than they received.”
Reuters was unable to reach Kalinowski immediately for comment, but she stated on X that, although she has great respect for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the team, the company announced the Pentagon deal without clearly defined guardrails.
“Primarily, this is a governance matter,” Kalinowski added in a follow-up post. “These decisions or announcements shouldn’t be rushed, given their importance.”
OpenAI responded the day after the deal was made, saying it includes extra safeguards to protect its use cases. The company reaffirmed that its “red lines” prevent the use of its technology for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons systems.
“We understand that these issues are controversial, and we will continue to engage in conversations with employees, government agencies, civil society, and communities worldwide,” the company told Reuters.
Kalinowski joined OpenAI in 2024 after leading hardware development for augmented reality at Meta Platforms.
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