OpenAI Robotics head resigns after deal with Pentagon

2026-03-07 - 22:13

Caitlin Kalinowski, head of robotics and consumer hardware at OpenAI, announced her resignation on Saturday, citing ​concerns about the company’s agreement with the Department ‌of Defense. In a social media post on X, Kalinowski wrote that OpenAI did not take enough time before agreeing to deploy its AI models ​on the Pentagon’s classified cloud networks. “AI has an ​important role in national security,” Kalinowski posted. “But surveillance of ⁠Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human ​authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.” Reuters ​could not immediately reach Kalinowski for comment, but she wrote on X that while she has “deep respect” for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and ​the team, the company announced the Pentagon deal “without the ​guardrails defined,” she posted. “It’s a governance concern first and foremost,” Kalinowski wrote ‌in ⁠a subsequent X post. “These are too important for deals or announcements to be rushed.” OpenAI said the day after the deal was struck that it includes additional safeguards to protect its ​use cases. ​The company on ⁠Saturday reiterated that its “red lines” preclude use of its technology in domestic surveillance or autonomous ​weapons. “We recognize that people have strong views ​about these ⁠issues and we will continue to engage in discussion with employees, government, civil society and communities around the world,” the ⁠company ​said in a statement to Reuters. Kalinowski ​joined OpenAI in 2024 after leading augmented reality hardware development at Meta Platforms.