Instacart CEO Fidji Simo Joins OpenAI to Lead Applications Division

TechCrunch’s latest Week in Review highlighted several notable executive transitions and tech industry updates. The most significant news was the announcement that Fidji Simo, current CEO of Instacart and board member of OpenAI, will step into a new role as CEO for Applications at OpenAI. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated that Simo will help scale traditional business functions within the organization, although specific responsibilities remain unclear. In related OpenAI news, the company reversed an earlier decision to transition into a for-profit entity, opting instead to maintain nonprofit control. This shift followed feedback from civic leaders and legal consultations.

Elsewhere in executive changes, Hasan Sukkar of startup 11x stepped down as CEO and moved into a non-executive chairman position, amid controversy involving misleading client branding on the company’s website. Additional headlines include Tesla’s struggle to trademark the terms “Cybercab” and “Robotaxi,” which the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected for being too generic. Meta also featured prominently with announcements about AI-driven advertising tools and new video ads being tested on Threads, which has surpassed 350 million monthly active users. Lastly, Bill Gates revealed that the Gates Foundation will wind down within 20 years, aligning with his pledge to donate the vast majority of his wealth.