OpenAI's Chief Futurist Joshua Achiam announced his departure on X, leaving the company he served for nine years on July 24th. Achiam joined OpenAI in 2017 as an intern and later led the Mission Alignment team, which was disbanded this past February, after which he transitioned to Chief Futurist. His role sat at the intersection of AI safety, policy, and the company's mission, tasked with researching potential risks and opportunities of advancing AI. Achiam stated his decision was not triggered by a single incident but was a long-considered choice, referring to his departure as his "graduation." He wrote that he joined as a 25-year-old intern and is now a 34-year-old father, remaining optimistic about creating a world where meeting everyone's basic needs is no longer a problem. He concluded his post with "To safe AGI." According to WIRED, OpenAI has not yet announced a successor.