OpenAI Disbands 'Mission Alignment' Team Focused on Safe AI Development

Mission Alignment Team Disbanded

OpenAI disbanded its Mission Alignment team on February 11, 2026. The team was responsible for communicating the company's mission to the public and its own employees. The former team leader was given a new role as the company's 'Chief Futurist.'

Part of AI Safety Org Restructuring

The disbandment appears to be part of OpenAI's ongoing AI safety organization restructuring. OpenAI has changed its safety-related team structure several times since 2024:

July 2024: Superalignment team disbanded

2025: Preparedness team merged into Safety Systems

February 2026: Mission Alignment team disbanded

Safety vs. Commercialization Tension

Since Sam Altman's firing and reinstatement in late 2023, OpenAI has faced ongoing tension between AI safety and commercial growth. The Mission Alignment team's role was to communicate OpenAI's mission of 'ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity' internally and externally.

The team's disbandment has led some to interpret that OpenAI is prioritizing product development and enterprise growth over mission-focused communication.

Enterprise Business Expansion Focus

OpenAI has made enterprise market expansion a top priority in 2026. The company announced an expanded multi-year partnership with ServiceNow, giving enterprise customers greater access to OpenAI models.

Meanwhile, OpenAI's enterprise LLM market share has fallen to 25%, while Anthropic now holds the top spot at 32%.

Source: TechCrunch