OpenAI’s Chief Security Officer is Leaving the Company

OpenAI theme for security systems executive Johannes Heidecke told employees this week that he is leaving the company, WIRED has learned. Heidecke’s departure follows a reorganization that sought consolidation It’s OpenAI security and research groups.

In a memo to employees seen by WIRED, the chief investigator said Mark Chen said OpenAI’s security teams will now report to VP of Research and chief executive officer Mia Glaese, who will take on an expanded role as VP of research and security. Saachi Jain, who previously led the security teams at OpenAI, will serve as the company’s interim security director, Glaese said.

“Safety requirements continue to rise — we’re training models too fast, and throughput has dropped dramatically,” Chen said in a memo. “As a result, we have bigger security challenges today than ever before.”

Heidecke joined OpenAI in 2021 as an AI security analyst. He took over the company’s security management role in 2024, after the previous director, Lilian Weng, left to join the Thinking Machines Lab and other OpenAI researchers.

“We are grateful for Johannes’ contributions to OpenAI,” Chen said in an interview with WIRED. “It is important that our security work is integrated with border development, with an early and direct role in making key decisions, sales, and implementation. We are excited about this next chapter under the leadership of Mia Glaese in research and security.”

Heidecke’s departure comes as OpenAI tries to implement more advanced AI models. Earlier this week, the company launched GPT-5.6, its most capable version to date for coding services. However, compared to previous versions, OpenAI claims that GPT-5.6 showed related to malpractice.

Heidecke is the latest security-conscious leader to leave OpenAI in recent days. Earlier this week, the future CEO of OpenAI Joshua Achiam he also told his colleagues that he was leaving the company after nine years of security research.

It’s not just OpenAI’s security teams that are changing. Earlier this week, OpenAI CEO of AGI Deployment Fidji Simo told employees to do so. get out of his position after an extended medical leave. The company said Greg Brockman will continue leading OpenAI product teamswhich he was given to do in his absence, but he took the road to the market again.