The Origins of 'Member of the Technical Staff' at OpenAI - Former Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew

Organizational Structure & Culture - OpenAI aimed to eliminate the distinction between engineers and researchers to foster collaboration and innovation [2] - The company wanted to create a level playing field by calling everyone "member of the technical staff," regardless of their academic background [5] - OpenAI values individuals who understand the full technology stack, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience with data and implementation [3][4] Research & Development - The company believes that researchers should act like artists, implying a creative and exploratory approach to problem-solving [5] - OpenAI recognizes that many of its great researchers learned their trade by working at the company, highlighting the importance of practical experience [5] - The organization emphasizes the significance of closely examining data to understand its possibilities, as exemplified by Alec Radford's approach [3][4]