This OpenAI Engineer who once worked at Elon Musk’s xAI, quits citing ‘scary’ and ‘dangerous’ mental health toll: ‘I hope I will heal’

Hieu Pham, a Member of Technical Staff at OpenAI, has announced he is leaving the company, citing severe burnout and mental health challenges. His exit follows roles at several leading AI labs, including xAI, founded by Elon Musk.

OpenAI techie decides to quit

In a post on social media platform X, Pham described his work experience as "a once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity, but also expressed his struggles. "I have made the difficult decision to leave @OpenAI," he wrote. 

"Working here and at @xai before was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have met the best people. Not the best people in AI. Not the best people in tech. Simply the best people. At these companies, I have helped creating extremely intelligent entities that will meaningfully improve our lives." 

Pham further wrote that he is "proud" of the work he has done, but the intense work pressure has impacted his well-being, saying, "I am burnt out. All the mental health deteriorating that I used to scoff at is real, miserable, scary, and dangerous."

He said that he is taking a break from Frontier AI labs to focus on his mental health and spend time with his family in Vietnam. "There, I will try something new, and also search for a cure for my conditions. I hope I will heal. Until then," he concluded the post.

I have made the difficult decision to leave @OpenAI.

Working here and at @xai before was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have met the best people. Not the best people in AI. Not the best people in tech. Simply the best people.

At these companies, I have helped creating…

— Hieu Pham (@hyhieu226) February 26, 2026

Netizens react

A techie commented, "This is the other side of AI development no one talks about. There is a heavy paradox in building systems to improve human lives while sacrificing your own life to do it. It's a brave decision to break that cycle. Burnout is not a badge of honor, and healing is not a sign of weakness. Touch some grass and enjoy the time home with your family."

Pham's departure comes amid concerns about the mental health of AI researchers and the pressure to innovate in the field.

OpenAI has, on multiple occasions, drawn criticism over its safety culture and the way it has handled employee exits. Most recently, researcher Zoe Hitzig stepped down, citing “deep reservations” about the company’s overall strategy.

Other AI firms have faced similar scrutiny. At Anthropic, Mrinank Sharma, who led the Safeguards Research Team, recently resigned, warning that the “world is in peril”, not only from AI or bioweapons, but from what he described as a “whole series of interconnected crises” unfolding simultaneously.

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