The AI brain drain: Intel's CTO and AI Chief Sachin Katti joins OpenAI

Sachin Katti, Intel's Chief technology and AI Officer, recently departed the chipmaker to assume a crucial role at OpenAi. Katti will focus on building the massive compute infrastructure required for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) at the ChatGPT creator.

This move is notable not just for the executive's high-level position, but for the speed of his exit. Katti was elevated to the dual CTO and Chief AI Officer role by CEO Lip-Bu Tan earlier this year, in April. And, his early departure not only sets a blow for the chipmaker but also underscores a wider trend in the industry; the rapid migration of elite technical talent from one company to other.

Focus on AGI

Katti, a former Stanford University professor and entrepreneur who joined Intel in 2021, took on the responsibility for Intel’s overall AI strategy and product roadmap. His decision to join OpenAI centres on a different, massive challenge: the infrastructure needed to achieve AGI. 

Welcome @sk7037 to OpenAI!

Incredibly excited to work with him on designing and building our compute infrastructure, which will power our AGI research and scale its applications to benefit everyone. pic.twitter.com/GkZ5yHctBO

— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 10, 2025

OpenAI President Greg Brockman confirmed Katti’s arrival, noting his role in scaling the application of AGI research. Building AGI requires unprecedented computing capacity, and OpenAI has already committed substantial capital to acquiring high-end data center infrastructure. Katti’s deep expertise in networking, edge computing, and wireless systems aligns directly with the complex hardware and systems challenges that underpin this next stage of AI development.

The great talent migration

Katti’s quick move after a significant promotion reflects the intense competition for AI leadership across the technology sector. For companies like Intel, which is currently undergoing a strategic turnaround and faces steep competition from rivals like Nvidia and AMD in the AI chip market, retaining top AI architects is crucial.

The trend is not isolated. Across Silicon Valley, top researchers and senior executives are leaving established firms like Google, Meta, and others for dedicated AI startups. These smaller, specialized companies often offer an environment entirely focused on the development of cutting-edge AI, along with lucrative compensation packages and the allure of shaping what many view as the next industrial revolution.

In one example earlier this year, OpenAI itself saw several key researchers depart for Meta, which is aggressively building its own superintelligence division. Whether it is a chipmaker losing a CTO or an AI lab losing a research lead, the pattern remains consistent: the promise of foundational AI work at a pure-play company often outweighs the security of a legacy tech giant.

Following Katti’s exit, Intel confirmed that CEO Lip-Bu Tan will directly oversee the AI and Advanced Technologies Groups. The company reaffirmed its commitment to its AI strategy, but the loss of a top architect after a tenure of only a few months raises questions about Intel's ability to retain the talent needed to compete in this rapidly shifting landscape.