Two top researchers leave OpenAI as focus shifts to business AI tools

OpenAI’s latest shake-up shows the company is doubling down on money-making AI rather than flashy research projects. Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles, key figures behind some of OpenAI’s most ambitious but costly ventures, have recently stepped away. Weil previously led efforts to push science forward using AI, while Peebles developed Sora, a tool that could generate videos from text. Their exits highlight a bigger trend at OpenAI—cutting projects that don’t directly benefit the company’s bottom line. Weil’s science-focused team, OpenAI for Science, had a rough run after launching in late 2024. A bold claim about an AI model solving unsolved math problems quickly fell apart, embarrassing the team. Even so, Weil pushed out a new AI model, GPT-Rosalind, aimed at speeding up drug research. Meanwhile, Peebles defended Sora’s legacy, saying it inspired a wave of new investments in AI video tools. He argued that groundbreaking ideas need freedom to grow outside the usual company plans.OpenAI’s shift isn’t surprising. Projects like Sora burned through over a million dollars daily just to run. The company now prefers to focus on tools for businesses instead of experimental tech. Weil’s science research group, which once promised faster scientific breakthroughs, is being folded into other teams. Even Weaver’s own social media exit post hinted at the challenges, calling the journey “mind-expanding. ” Peebles took a different approach. He emphasized that research labs need room to experiment, even if it looks chaotic. His words suggest OpenAI is becoming stricter about what stays and what goes. The message? Big, risky ideas are welcome, but only if they fit into the company’s main goals.