Murati Calls Altman ‘Dishonest’ in Testimony on OpenAI Turmoil

SAN FRANCISCO — Former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati testified that CEO Sam Altman was dishonest and caused “chaos” during her tenure at the company, according to a report Tuesday by the New York Post.

The testimony from Murati, who served as one of OpenAI’s most senior executives before her departure, offers a former insider’s account of Altman’s leadership at the San Francisco-based AI lab.

Murati described a pattern of behavior by Altman that she characterized as dishonest and disruptive to the organization, the Post reported. The specific legal proceeding in which the testimony was given was not immediately clear from the initial reporting.

The allegations come amid continued scrutiny of OpenAI’s governance structure and Altman’s leadership style, issues that burst into public view during the company’s November 2023 board crisis. In that episode, OpenAI’s board of directors briefly fired Altman before reinstating him days later following a revolt by employees and pressure from investors.

Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during the November 2023 upheaval, departed OpenAI in September 2024. At the time, she described her exit as a personal decision to explore new opportunities, though her departure was among several high-profile executive exits from the company.

OpenAI has faced a series of legal challenges in recent years, including litigation from co-founder Elon Musk, who has alleged the company abandoned its founding nonprofit mission. The company has been pursuing a conversion from its unusual nonprofit-controlled structure to a for-profit entity, a move that has drawn opposition from multiple state attorneys general and public interest groups.

Murati’s testimony provides a firsthand account of OpenAI’s internal operations during her tenure. As CTO, she oversaw much of the technical development that produced ChatGPT and the GPT series of large language models that propelled the company to global prominence.

The testimony comes as lawmakers and regulators have raised questions about governance practices across the AI industry. OpenAI’s corporate structure and internal management have been cited in congressional hearings focused on AI oversight.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the testimony, according to the Post’s reporting.

The company, which has raised tens of billions of dollars from investors including Microsoft Corp., is among the largest players in the commercial AI industry despite the persistent questions about its leadership and corporate structure.