OpenAI has recently seen a wave of employee departures over the past few weeks. Now, adding another name to the list, its video generator co-head, Sora, has also decided to move on. Taking over After working from the beginning to develop Sora, Brooks is leaving everything behind to work with Google.

After revealing that he was joining Google Deep Mind, he said that he had a great two years at OpenAI creating Sora. However, his departure coincides with technical difficulties reportedly delaying Sora’s release, making it less competitive compared to established systems like Luma, Runaway, and others.

Google introduced its video generation model, Veo, at this year’s I/O developer conference. Soon, it will be integrated into YouTube Shorts, allowing creators to create backgrounds and short six-second clips. Sora, on the other hand, is yet to be announced. In February, when OpenAI’s video generator debuted its first few videos, it shocked the world with its accuracy. But, now there is hardly any talk around it. According to media reports, OpenAI is in the process of training an improved Sora that can quickly create clips. Earlier it was said that Sora took 10 minutes for a 1 minute clip.

Tim Brooks’ departure comes days after Mira Muratti’s decision to step away from OpenAI. It has been reported that the leaving spree was partly motivated by internal conflicts and philosophical differences regarding the direction of the company.

Many employees are concerned about OpenAI’s shift toward commercial ventures, which they feel conflicts with its original research-focused mission. OpenAI co-founder John Shulman has left, indicating that Murati’s departure is part of a larger trend. Shulman’s exit signals a broader leadership change, along with other top executives such as Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew. The departure of long-serving researchers points to deep concerns about the direction of OpenAI, especially as it has moved away from its roots as a non-profit company focused on research and has become a more profit-driven company. The leadership exodus raises questions about the sustainability of OpenAI’s rapid growth. While the company is headed toward important business milestones — such as raising $7 billion in a new funding round — these internal tensions could cast doubt on its long-term sustainability.

Additionally, the departure of key figures has prompted competitors like Anthropic to attract talent by aligning more closely with ethical AI development. Financial incentives and the desire for more influential roles in smaller startups also lead some employees to leave.