The head of robotics at OpenAI has resigned following the company’s recent agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense, citing concerns about how the technology could be used.
Caitlin Kalinowski, who led OpenAI’s robotics and consumer hardware division, announced her resignation after the company signed a deal to deploy its artificial intelligence models on classified Pentagon cloud networks.
In posts on social media, Kalinowski said the decision to move forward with the agreement had been made too quickly and raised ethical issues regarding the potential use of AI in surveillance and autonomous weapons systems.
She noted that technologies capable of monitoring citizens without judicial oversight or enabling lethal autonomous systems require stronger safeguards and more public discussion before being deployed.
Despite her criticism of the deal, Kalinowski expressed respect for OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman and said she remained proud of the robotics team’s work at the company.
OpenAI defended the Pentagon partnership, stating that its policies prohibit the use of its AI tools for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons and that additional safeguards are included in the agreement.
Kalinowski joined OpenAI in 2024 after working at Meta Platforms. Her departure highlights growing tensions within the technology sector over the role of artificial intelligence in military and national security operations.