Hardware Executive Resigns from OpenAI Following Controversial DoD Agreement

Hardware executive Caitlin Kalinowski made a significant announcement today, revealing that she has resigned from her position leading OpenAI’s robotics team in response to the company’s controversial agreement with the Department of Defense.

Kalinowski shared her decision in a social media post, stating, “This wasn’t an easy call. 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.”

Having previously worked on augmented reality glasses at Meta, Kalinowski joined OpenAI in November 2024. She emphasized that her resignation was based on principle rather than personal issues and expressed respect for CEO Sam Altman and the rest of the OpenAI team.

In a follow-up post on X, Kalinowski clarified, “To be clear, my issue is that the announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined. It’s a governance concern first and foremost. These are too important for deals or announcements to be rushed.”

An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Kalinowski’s departure to JS, highlighting the company’s belief that their agreement with the Pentagon establishes a framework for responsible national security AI applications with clear boundaries.

The controversy arose after the Pentagon designated another AI company, Anthropic, as a supply-chain risk following failed negotiations aimed at preventing its technology from being used in mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. OpenAI stepped in with their own agreement allowing their technology to be utilized in classified environments, emphasizing the implementation of technical safeguards to uphold ethical standards.

Despite efforts to clarify their stance, OpenAI’s reputation has taken a hit, leading to a surge in uninstallations of ChatGPT and increased popularity of Claude on the App Store. As of now, Claude and ChatGPT hold the top two spots among free apps on the U.S. App Store.