HMM: OpenAI’s robotics hardware lead resigns following deal with the Department of Defense.

Kalinowski, who previously worked at Meta before leaving to join OpenAI in late 2024, wrote on X that “surveillance of Americans without judicial oversight and lethal autonomy without human authorization are lines that deserved more deliberation than they got.” Responding to another post, the former OpenAI exec explained that “the announcement was rushed without the guardrails defined,” adding that it was a “governance concern first and foremost.”

OpenAI confirmed Kalinowski’s resignation and said in a statement to Engadget that the company understands people have “strong views” about these issues and will continue to engage in discussions with relevant parties. The company also explained in the statement that it doesn’t support the issues that Kalinowski brought up.

“We believe our agreement with the Pentagon creates a workable path for responsible national security uses of AI while making clear our red lines: no domestic surveillance and no autonomous weapons,” the OpenAI statement read.

Always, always, always have a human in the loop.