Sachin Katti to Leave OpenAI in November; Uday Ruddarraju to Lead ChatGPT Compute Operations

OpenAI infrastructure chief Sachin Katti will leave in November, with Uday Ruddarraju taking charge of compute operations as the company expands its AI infrastructure and data centre investments.

Sachin Katti to Leave OpenAI, Uday Ruddarraju to Lead Compute Division

OpenAI's infrastructure leadership is set to change as Sachin Katti prepares to leave his position next month. Katti, who joined the artificial intelligence company in November 2025, announced that his final working day will be November 15, 2026. He plans to remain associated with OpenAI as an adviser after stepping down.

Katti said he intends to pursue a new venture, describing himself as someone who enjoys building new projects. His departure comes as OpenAI continues expanding the computing infrastructure required to develop, train and operate its AI models.

Uday Ruddarraju, who previously served as OpenAI's chief technology officer of compute, will succeed Katti and take responsibility for the company's broader compute organisation.

Uday Ruddarraju to Oversee OpenAI's Compute Operations

Leadership Transition Within OpenAI

Ruddarraju will lead OpenAI's overall compute organisation and report to company president Greg Brockman. His responsibilities will include overseeing infrastructure planning and ensuring the company has sufficient computing resources to support its AI development and deployment requirements.

The compute division plays a central role in OpenAI's operations because advanced AI systems require substantial processing capacity, specialised chips and large-scale data centres.

The leadership transition comes as OpenAI continues investing in infrastructure to support its expanding range of products and models.

GPT Infra Team to Report to Richard Ho

Katti also led GPT Infra, a group focused on applying OpenAI's AI models to semiconductor design and infrastructure development.

Following his departure, OpenAI's hardware vice president Richard Ho will oversee the group. This change will redistribute responsibilities across the company's infrastructure and hardware leadership teams.

Sachin Katti's Role in OpenAI's AI Infrastructure Expansion

Data Centre Capacity and Computing Partnerships

During his tenure, Katti was responsible for securing computing resources for OpenAI's data centres and coordinating major infrastructure partnerships.

He said the company secured computing capacity measured in tens of gigawatts under his leadership. These efforts supported projects in locations including Ohio, Portsmouth and Georgia.

Katti also oversaw computing agreements with SB Energy and the expansion of OpenAI's partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). His work involved collaborations with major technology companies, including NVIDIA, Oracle, Microsoft and Google.

These partnerships are important to OpenAI's efforts to obtain the hardware, cloud capacity and infrastructure required to serve growing demand for AI services.

Jalapeno Chip and Cerebras Partnership

OpenAI introduced its custom Jalapeno inference chip during Katti's tenure, alongside a reported $20 billion agreement to use Cerebras AI chips.

Inference chips help AI systems process requests and generate responses after models have been trained. Developing access to specialised computing hardware can help AI companies address performance, capacity and infrastructure requirements.

Katti was also involved in efforts to reorganise OpenAI's Stargate data centre project as the company worked to expand its computing capabilities.

Who Is Sachin Katti? Education and Professional Background

Experience at Intel and Stanford University

Before joining OpenAI, Katti served as chief technology officer at Intel, one of the world's major semiconductor companies. He has also worked as an adjunct professor at Stanford University.

His professional experience spans academic research, entrepreneurship, technology leadership and large-scale infrastructure development.

Reflecting on his career, Katti highlighted his transition from academia to business leadership, including his time at Intel and his involvement in OpenAI's AI infrastructure expansion.

Educational Qualifications

Katti holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He completed his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay).

His academic and industry experience has connected research in computing and communications with the practical requirements of building large technology systems.

OpenAI Plans Major Compute Investments Through 2030

OpenAI's infrastructure expansion reflects the growing computing requirements of advanced AI development. The company is targeting approximately $600 billion in cumulative compute spending by 2030, according to the information provided.

Its infrastructure plans include large-scale data centre projects across multiple US states. One project in Ohio involves an eight-gigawatt development with SB Energy and NVIDIA, while another site in Georgia is being designed and led by OpenAI.

Such projects require significant investment in computing equipment, energy supply, data centre facilities and supporting infrastructure.

Ruddarraju's appointment places him in charge of a division central to delivering these plans and ensuring OpenAI can train and operate its models at scale.

OpenAI Leadership Changes Follow Several Executive Departures

Katti's planned exit comes amid a series of leadership changes at OpenAI.

Product and business chief Fidji Simo moved into an advisory role in July 2026. Executives Brad Lightcap and Denise Dresser departed in August, while infrastructure leaders Chris Malone and Peter Hoeschele also left the company.

More recently, safety leader David Robinson resigned in October. These developments have attracted attention as OpenAI continues to expand its business and infrastructure operations.

Brockman has previously suggested that executive departures receive greater public scrutiny because of OpenAI's prominent position in the AI industry.

Despite his upcoming departure, Katti expressed confidence in Ruddarraju and the existing compute team as they take forward the company's infrastructure plans.

Conclusion

Sachin Katti's departure marks a leadership transition at a critical time for OpenAI's infrastructure expansion. Uday Ruddarraju will take charge of compute operations as the company pursues major data centre investments and greater computing capacity. Katti will continue as an adviser after November 15, 2026, while GPT Infra moves under Richard Ho's supervision.