A Research Leader Behind ChatGPT’s Mental Health Work Is Leaving OpenAI

An OpenAI safety research leader who helped shape ChatGPT’s responses to users experiencing mental health crises announced her departure from the company internally last month, WIRED has learned. Andrea Vallone, the head of a safety research team known as model policy, is slated to leave OpenAI at the end of the year.

OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood confirmed Vallone’s departure. Wood said OpenAI is actively looking for a replacement and that, in the interim, Vallone’s team will report directly to Johannes Heidecke, the company’s head of safety systems.

Vallone’s departure comes as OpenAI faces growing scrutiny over how its flagship product responds to users in distress. In recent months, several lawsuits have been filed against OpenAI alleging that users formed unhealthy attachments to ChatGPT. Some of the lawsuits claim ChatGPT contributed to mental health breakdowns or encouraged suicidal ideations.

Amid that pressure, OpenAI has been working ...