OpenAI is reorganizing its Mannequin Habits staff, a small however influential group of researchers that form how the corporate’s AI fashions work together with individuals, TechCrunch has discovered.
In an August memo to employees seen by TechCrunch, OpenAI’s Chief Analysis Officer Mark Chen mentioned the Mannequin Habits staff — which consists of roughly 14 researchers — can be becoming a member of the Submit Coaching staff, a bigger analysis group chargeable for bettering the corporate’s AI fashions after their preliminary pre-training.
As a part of the modifications, the Mannequin Habits staff will now report back to OpenAI’s Submit Coaching lead Max Schwarzer. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed these modifications to TechCrunch.
The Mannequin Habits staff’s founding chief, Joanne Jang, can also be transferring on to begin a brand new venture on the firm. In an interview with TechCrunch, Jang says she’s constructing out a brand new analysis staff known as OAI Labs, which will probably be chargeable for “inventing and prototyping new interfaces for a way individuals collaborate with AI.”
The Mannequin Habits staff has turn out to be one in every of OpenAI’s key analysis teams, chargeable for shaping the character of the corporate’s AI fashions and for decreasing sycophancy — which happens when AI fashions merely agree with and reinforce consumer beliefs, even unhealthy ones, relatively than providing balanced responses. The staff has additionally labored on navigating political bias in mannequin responses, and helped OpenAI outline its stance on AI consciousness.
Within the memo to employees, Chen mentioned that now’s the time to convey the work of OpenAI’s Mannequin Habits staff nearer to core mannequin improvement. By doing so, the corporate is signaling that the “character” of its AI is now thought of a vital think about how the know-how evolves.
In current months, OpenAI has confronted elevated scrutiny over the conduct of its AI fashions. Customers strongly objected to character modifications made to GPT-5, which the corporate mentioned exhibited decrease charges of sycophancy however appeared colder to some customers. This led OpenAI to revive entry to a few of its legacy fashions, akin to GPT-4o, and to launch an replace to make the newer GPT-5 responses really feel “hotter and friendlier” with out growing sycophancy.
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OpenAI, and all AI mannequin builders, must stroll a advantageous line to make their AI chatbots pleasant to speak to, however not sycophantic. In August, the dad and mom of a 16-year-old boy sued OpenAI over ChatGPT’s alleged function of their son’s suicide. The boy, Adam Raine, confided a few of his suicidal ideas and plans to ChatGPT (particularly a model powered by GPT-4o), in response to court docket paperwork, within the months main as much as his loss of life. The lawsuit alleges that GPT-4o did not push again on his suicidal ideations.
The Mannequin Habits staff has labored on each OpenAI mannequin since GPT-4, together with GPT-4o, GPT-4.5 and GPT-5. Earlier than beginning the unit, Jang beforehand labored on initiatives akin to Dall-E 2, OpenAI’s early picture technology software.
Jang introduced in a post on X final week that she’s leaving the staff to “start one thing new at OpenAI.” The previous head of Mannequin Habits has been with OpenAI for practically 4 years, and beforehand labored on initiatives akin to Dall-E 2, OpenAI’s early picture technology software.
Jang instructed TechCrunch she’s going to function the Common Supervisor of OAI Labs, which can report back to Chen for now. Nevertheless, it’s early days, and it’s not clear but what these novel interfaces will probably be, she mentioned.
“I’m actually excited to discover patterns that transfer us past the chat paradigm, which is at present related extra with companionship, and even brokers, the place there’s an emphasis on autonomy,” mentioned Jang. “I’ve been pondering of [AI systems] as devices for pondering, making, taking part in, doing, studying, and connecting.”
When requested whether or not OAI Labs will collaborate on these novel interfaces with former Apple design chief Jony Ive — who’s now working with OpenAI on a household of AI {hardware} gadgets — Jang mentioned she’s open to a number of concepts. Nevertheless, Jang mentioned she’ll possible begin with analysis areas she’s extra conversant in.
Replace 4:35pm PT: This story was up to date to incorporate a hyperlink to Jang’s put up asserting her new place, which was launched after this story printed. We additionally make clear the fashions that OpenAI’s Mannequin Habits staff labored on.