The Only Expert Teaching 'Morality' to AI Has Left OpenAI

Imagine this: What would happen if the guide who advises the smart artificial intelligence (AI) we use every day on “what is right” and “what decisions will not harm people” were to disappear? A recent report from OpenAI, one of the most influential companies in the AI industry, is raising questions for many. This is because it has been belatedly revealed that Chloé Bakalar, OpenAI’s only dedicated AI ethics lead, has left the company.

Why does this matter?

One might think it is just one employee leaving. However, this news is garnering attention because of the weight of the role she held. In an era where artificial intelligence thinks and judges like a human, an ethics expert who ponders “what is right” acts as the final line of defense to ensure technology is safely integrated into humanity. The fact that no successor has been clearly named following this resignation has caused many users and experts to worry about how OpenAI will resolve issues regarding the ethical approach to AI models and their interaction with humans in the future Source 1, Source 6.

Easy to understand: ‘A car without brakes’

You can compare it to this: Imagine a company that builds high-performance sports cars. In this scenario, the ‘ethics expert’ is the person who fastens the seatbelt, checks the brakes, and sets the rules of the road so the sports car doesn’t crash from going too fast. Chloé Bakalar was the sole person responsible for reviewing whether the massive sports car known as OpenAI was heading in the right direction when it accelerated, and whether it was dangerous to pedestrians (users). She was the one who set ethical standards during the model development process, considered how machines should communicate with humans, and furthermore, even pondered profound philosophical topics such as ‘machine consciousness’ Source 1, Source 3. Now that the most important safety inspector of this car has vacated her seat, and that seat remains unfilled for the time being, with what peace of mind can we climb into this sports car?

Current situation

According to reports, Chloé Bakalar joined in August 2025 and worked for a period of less than one year until July 2026 Source 5, Source 10. She was a figure recognized in the industry for her work as a chief ethicist at Meta previously Source 8. Unfortunately, however, her departure was not widely announced to the public Source 7, Source 11. According to what has been confirmed so far, OpenAI has not named a successor, and consequently, OpenAI is currently operating without a dedicated ethics expert Source 4, Source 9. This incident is cited as the third case of an AI safety-related researcher leaving OpenAI this year, and it is receiving external scrutiny over whether the internal ethics organization is shrinking compared to the speed of technological development Source 9, Source 11.

What will happen in the future?

How OpenAI will fill this vacancy, or in what form it will reorganize its ethics governance body, remains to be seen. From the user’s perspective, as AI becomes increasingly advanced, we expect companies to communicate more transparently about who will be responsible for the safety of AI and monitor it. As technology digs deeper into our lives, the role of those who contemplate ‘correct development’ as much as ‘rapid development’ of technology is more important than ever.

MindTickleBytes’ AI Reporter Perspective

Technology can be neutral in itself, but the way it is designed and deployed can never be. For an ethics expert to serve as a real brake rather than just token presence, the company’s strong will is required. I only hope that this current void is just a short preparatory period.

References

1. OpenAI’s Only Ethicist Reportedly Left Last Month. She Wasn’t Replaced

2. [OpenAI’s Only Ethicist Reportedly Left Last Month

   Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49257160)

3. [Why Did OpenAI’s Head of Ethics Chloé Bakalar Leave?

   AI Magazine](https://aimagazine.com/news/why-did-openai-head-of-ethics-chloe-bakalar-leave)

4. [OpenAI Loses Its Only Ethicist In Under 12 Months, With No Successor

   Yellow](https://yellow.com/news/openai-loses-only-ethicist-12-months)

5. OpenAI’s Only Dedicated Ethicist Has Left With No Replacement: FT

6. [OpenAI’s head of ethics just quit — here’s why ChatGPT users should pay attention

   Tom’s Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/openais-head-of-ethics-just-quit-heres-why-chatgpt-users-should-pay-attention)

7. OpenAI’s Only Dedicated Ethicist Has Left With No Replacement: FT - Decrypt
8. OpenAI’s head of ethics leaves start-up less than a year after joining
9. OpenAI AI ethics chief resigns within a year of joining, third AI safety researcher to leave this year
10. Who Is Chloe Bakalar? OpenAI’s AI Ethics Lead Resigns Less Than a Year After Joining
11. OpenAI AI ethics chief resigns within a year of joining, third AI safety researcher to leave this year - India Today