OpenAI Top Manager Fired for Sexual Discrimination of a Male Employee

Video screenshot: fortune / Youtube

As The Wall Street Journal writes, in early January, OpenAI, a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, terminated its contract with Rian Baermeyster, the vice president who headed the product policies team. "Product policies" refer to the rules and regulations governing how users can use OpenAI products — for example, ChatGPT, GPT models, API, GPT Store, Sora, and other services.

According to people familiar with the situation, the top manager learned about her dismissal after a vacation.

Management explained that the decision to terminate the employment relationship was due to sexual discrimination on her part against one of her male colleagues. This is a rather unusual reason for dismissal. At this moment, specific details of what exactly she did or said are not being disclosed.

Baermeyster herself denies these accusations. In an official statement, she emphasized: "The accusation that I discriminated against someone is absolutely false."

At the same time, OpenAI representatives, while acknowledging her professional achievements, insist that the dismissal has no connection to her views on company policy or internal disputes.

WSJ sources within the company link the dismissal to Baermeyster's principled stance regarding the future of ChatGPT.

Her departure comes ahead of the planned launch early this year of a mode that will allow users to create erotic content in ChatGPT with the help of artificial intelligence. This feature, which permits conversations on adult and sexual topics for adult users, has drawn criticism from company researchers. They suggested that sexual content could intensify some users' feelings for AI personalities whom they perceive as their friends.

Members of the advisory board on "well-being and artificial intelligence," which OpenAI regularly convenes, also spoke out against the "adult mode" and urged the company to reconsider its launch plans.

According to people familiar with the situation, Baermeyster was one of several OpenAI employees who expressed concern about the launch of the adult mode. Before her dismissal, she openly warned colleagues about the potential harmful consequences of this step for users. In her opinion, OpenAI's mechanisms for blocking child exploitation content are not effective enough, and the company is unable to reliably protect adolescents from adult content.

However, as WSJ notes, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman holds a different position. He publicly advocates for expanding the boundaries of what is allowed, stating that the company should "treat adult users as adults." This strategy is driven by fierce market competition.

ChatGPT attracts over 800 million users weekly as part of OpenAI's strategy to create the most advanced artificial intelligence. The company now plans to monetize this activity through advertising.

OpenAI closely monitors its competitors and in December declared an internal "red alert" after the unexpected success and growth of Google's Gemini chatbot. Another competitor, xAI, found that more lenient rules around sexually explicit content in its Grok chatbot helped increase user engagement.

Who is Rian Baermeyster?

Baermeyster joined OpenAI in mid-2024, having moved from Meta (formerly Facebook). She was part of a wave of top managers who aimed to reform technology giants from within, making them more ethical.

In addition to her primary work, she was actively involved in corporate culture. In early 2025, Baermeyster launched a mentorship program for women at OpenAI. This initiative helped female employees from various departments form groups to discuss career strategies and support each other.

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