OpenAI is undergoing significant changes as it bids farewell to two key figures who played crucial roles in its innovative projects. Kevin Weil, who spearheaded the company's science research initiative, and Bill Peebles, the mind behind the AI video tool Sora, announced their departures on Friday. These exits coincide with OpenAI's strategic pivot towards enterprise AI and the development of an anticipated "superapp."
The decision to part ways with Weil and Peebles reflects OpenAI's recent move to streamline its operations by scaling back on various "side quests." This includes halting customer-facing projects like Sora and OpenAI for Science. Sora, which was reportedly incurring losses of around $1 million daily in computational costs, was discontinued last month.
OpenAI for Science, the internal research group responsible for the AI-driven platform Prism, which aimed to enhance scientific discovery, will now be integrated into other research teams, as noted by Weil in his social media announcement.
Weil expressed his gratitude for the experiences over the past two years, transitioning from Chief Product Officer to leading the research team. He stated, "Accelerating science will be one of the most stunningly positive outcomes of our push to AGI."
The journey for his team has been both brief and challenging since its formal inception in October 2025. Notably, Weil had to retract a tweet claiming that GPT-5 had successfully resolved ten previously unsolved Erdős mathematical problems, a statement that faced immediate scrutiny from the mathematical community.
Weil's departure followed closely after the launch of GPT-Rosalind, a new model designed to expedite research in life sciences and drug discovery.
In his announcement, Peebles recognized Sora for sparking substantial investments in the video sector, emphasizing that the type of innovative research that birthed Sora thrives best when it operates outside the constraints of the company's main objectives. He remarked, "Cultivating entropy is the only way for a research lab to thrive long-term."
As OpenAI continues to refine its focus, these developments signal a commitment to harnessing AI for transformative applications, potentially shaping the future landscape of both technology and scientific research.
