OpenAI robotics head Caitlin Kalinowski quits after Pentagon deal

Caitlin Kalinowski, OpenAI's head of robotics, said she resigned after the company struck a deal with the Pentagon. Kalinowski, a hardware executive who joined OpenAI from Meta in 2024, led the company's robotics division. In a post on X she criticized the agreement: "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." She called her resignation a matter of principle, and said she still deeply respects OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and is proud of the company's robotics work.

An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed her departure and defended the Defense Department agreement, saying it "creates a workable path for responsible national security uses of AI while making clear our red lines: no domestic surveillance and no autonomous weapons." The company said it would continue to engage with employees, government, civil society, and communities around the world.

United States

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