Caitlin Kalinowski, who led hardware and robotics operations at OpenAI since November 2024, has resigned from the artificial intelligence company, citing concerns over CEO Sam Altman’s contract with the Department of War.
Kalinowski announced her departure in posts on social media platform X and LinkedIn, explaining that her decision was based on principles related to the potential military use of artificial intelligence.
“I resigned from OpenAI,” she wrote. “I care deeply about the Robotics team and the work we built together. This wasn’t an easy call.”
She said she believes artificial intelligence can play an important role in national security but raised concerns about certain applications of the technology.
“AI has an important role in national security,” Kalinowski said. “But surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.”
She emphasized that her decision was not a criticism of colleagues at the company.
“This was about principle, not people,” she wrote. “I have deep respect for Sam and the team, and I’m proud of what we built together.”
Her resignation comes amid growing debate across the technology industry over whether artificial intelligence companies should partner with the U.S. military.
The controversy intensified recently after negotiations between the Pentagon and AI firm Anthropic collapsed. Anthropic reportedly insisted on strict limitations on how its technology could be used by the Defense Department, including restrictions on some legal uses of AI systems.
After those negotiations failed, OpenAI reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy its AI models on a classified government network.
Critics argued that OpenAI moved quickly to secure the contract after Anthropic refused the terms, raising questions among some employees and industry observers about the company’s approach to military partnerships.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later addressed the criticism publicly, acknowledging that the situation had created negative perceptions.
“We were genuinely trying to de-escalate things and avoid a much worse outcome,” Altman said. “But I think it just looked opportunistic and sloppy.”
The dispute between AI companies and the government has also drawn attention from national security officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced that Anthropic would be designated a supply chain threat after its refusal to cooperate fully with the Pentagon.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Kalinowski’s resignation and defended the company’s agreement with the Defense Department.
“We believe our agreement with the Pentagon 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 in a statement.
The spokesperson added that OpenAI intends to continue discussions with employees, policymakers, and the public about the ethical use of artificial intelligence.
Kalinowski joined OpenAI to lead hardware operations under Vice President of Research Aditya Ramesh. Her work focused on robotics and physical-world AI systems, part of an internal initiative aimed at developing technology capable of interacting with real-world environments.
Although her tenure at the company lasted less than two years, she played a role in helping build OpenAI’s robotics and hardware efforts.
Her departure highlights the growing tension within Silicon Valley as companies grapple with the expanding role of artificial intelligence in national security and military operations.
