Barret Zoph exits OpenAI again after five months

Five months after returning to OpenAI, Barret Zoph - the company's head of enterprise AI sales - has departed, The Verge has learned. Zoph returned to OpenAI in mid-January after a stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Shortly after Zoph returned to OpenAI, the company said he would lead its push into enterprise - a key role at OpenAI, since in recent months it had vowed to stop chasing so-called "side quests" and focus on key revenue drivers like enterprise and coding ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI confirmed to The Verge that Zoph will be departing, but did not provide a reason for his exit or details on a replacement. The departure of Zoph, who previously worked at OpenAI before joining Thinking Machines Lab, raises questions about the company's enterprise strategy and its ability to execute on its ambitious plans. Why this matters: The exit of Barret Zoph from OpenAI highlights the challenges the company faces in executing its enterprise strategy, a key component of its growth plans ahead of a potential IPO.

With Zoph's departure, OpenAI will need to reassess its leadership and approach to the enterprise market, where it faces intense competition from established players and newcomers alike. For developers and businesses, this may mean delays or changes in the types of enterprise-focused AI solutions OpenAI is able to offer. For consumers, it may have implications for the types of AI-powered products and services that become available.

As OpenAI continues to navigate its growth and priorities, the company will need to demonstrate its ability to retain talent and execute on its vision for the future of AI.