Instacart chief Fidji Simo to join OpenAI as CEO of Applications

OpenAIhas appointed Instacart chief executive Fidji Simo to become the San Francisco‑based AI company’s CEO of Applications, a newly created role to oversee the teams responsible for turning the company’s AI research into products like ChatGPT and Sora.

CEO Sam Altman stated that Simo will report directly to him. While Altman's role remains unchanged, he stated the move lets him spend more time on research, computing infrastructure, and safety areas he calls critical as the company “builds superintelligence.”

“Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group. Serving as an OpenAI board member over the past year, Fidji has already contributed a great deal to our company. She will transition from her role at Instacart over the next few months and join OpenAI later this year,” said Altman. 

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In her new role, Simo will focus on scaling OpenAI’s core business operations, with Altman staying closely involved with key company decisions. She will transition out of her position as CEO of Instacart over the next few months and is expected to join OpenAI later this year.

Instacart said it will announce a new CEO soon, and that Simo will remain Chair of the Board to support the leadership transition. 

“Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organisation has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications, OpenAI. 

The newly appointed leader also serves on the boards of OpenAI and Shopify. She is the co-founder of the Metrodora Institute, a health clinic and research center, and currently leads the Metrodora Foundation. She holds degrees from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and HEC Paris.

This development comes just two days after a major corporate restructuring, with OpenAI announcing that it will drop plans to become a traditional for-profit company amid growing legal and public scrutiny.

In a letter to employees, Altman said OpenAI’s non-profit parent will retain full voting control, while its for-profit arm will be converted into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC).