OpenAI’s robotics {hardware} lead resigns following take care of the Division of Protection

OpenAI‘s robotics {hardware} lead is out. Caitlin Kalinowski, who oversaw {hardware} throughout the robotics division of OpenAI, posted on X that she was resigning from her function, whereas criticizing the corporate’s haste in partnering with the Department of Defense with out investigating correct guardrails. OpenAI instructed Engadget that there aren’t any plans to switch Kalinowski.

Kalinowski, who beforehand labored at Meta earlier than leaving to affix OpenAI in late 2024, wrote on X that “surveillance of Individuals with out judicial oversight and deadly autonomy with out human authorization are traces that deserved extra deliberation than they obtained.” Responding to a different publish, the previous OpenAI exec defined that “the announcement was rushed with out the guardrails outlined,” including that it was a “governance concern in the beginning.”

OpenAI confirmed Kalinowski’s resignation and stated in an announcement to Engadget that the corporate understands folks have “sturdy views” about these points and can proceed to have interaction in discussions with related events. The corporate additionally defined within the assertion that it does not assist the problems that Kalinowski introduced up.

“We imagine our settlement with the Pentagon creates a workable path for accountable nationwide safety makes use of of AI whereas making clear our crimson traces: no home surveillance and no autonomous weapons,” the OpenAI assertion learn.

Kalinowski’s resignation will be the most high-profile fallout from OpenAI’s determination to signal a take care of the Division of Protection. The choice got here simply after Anthropic refused to adjust to lifting sure AI guardrails round mass surveillance and creating absolutely autonomous weapons. Nonetheless, even OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, stated that he would amend the take care of the Division of Protection to ban spying on Individuals.

Correction, March 8 2026, 10:30AM ET: This story has been up to date to right Kalinowski’s function at OpenAI to “robotics {hardware} lead” as a substitute of “head of robotics.”