The team behind OpenAI just made a big move. They’ve brought in Fidji Simo, who previously ran Instacart and led the Facebook app, to take charge of their apps division. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, shared the news on social media, explaining this shift lets him zero in on key areas like research, computing power, and safety.
Simo’s background is impressive—she joined Facebook back in 2011, climbed the ranks, and by 2019 was steering the entire Facebook app. During her time there, she played a major role in shaping features like News Feed, Stories, and live video, all of which helped grow the platform’s ad operations. Instacart tapped her as CEO in 2021, and under her leadership, the company went public within two years.
Simo has already been involved with OpenAI as a board member since last year, but she won’t make the jump to the AI powerhouse immediately. In a message to Instacart employees, she clarified she’s sticking around for a few more months until a replacement is named.
Apps are now a huge focus for OpenAI, especially with ChatGPT available on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. Reports also suggest the company is working on a social platform similar to others in the space.