“Work came with a price”: OpenAI senior engineer leaves over mental health

A senior engineer at OpenAI has stepped away from his role, saying the intensity of the work left him burnt out and mentally exhausted. Hieu Pham, who previously worked at OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, shared the decision publicly, describing the toll on his mental health as serious and difficult to ignore. Also Read: Perplexity Computer: How it’s different from a regular chatbot

“Work came with a price”

Pham announced his exit in a post on X, saying that while he was proud of the systems he helped build, the pressure eventually became overwhelming. He described the impact on his mental health as “real, miserable, scary, and dangerous.” Also Read: After crashing IT stocks, Anthropic launches Claude plug-ins to automate HR and banking work

I have made the difficult decision to leave @OpenAI. Also Read: Elon Musk’s X tests ‘Made with AI’ label as India cracks down on deepfakes

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

He said leaving was not an easy decision. Pham called his time at OpenAI and xAI a once-in-a-lifetime experience and praised his colleagues. At the same time, he admitted that the constant pressure changed him. What started as intense work slowly turned into burnout that he could no longer dismiss.

According to the post, Pham plans to return to Vietnam with his family and focus on recovery. He said he wants to take time away from frontier AI labs and regain balance.

Life inside elite AI labs

Working in advanced AI research has become increasingly competitive. Companies like OpenAI, xAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic are moving quickly to roll out new AI models and updates. That kind of pace usually comes with long hours and constant pressure on the people building these systems.

Pham’s statement offered a rare look at what that environment can feel like from the inside. He also said that earlier in his career, he did not take conversations around mental health seriously. Over time, he realised that prolonged stress was taking a deeper toll than he expected.

Pham’s post drew a lot of reactions online. A lot of people came out in support of his decision and said it takes courage to speak about burnout so openly. At the same time, some users raised questions about his reasons and background. He addressed those directly, clarifying details about his visa status and his previous roles.

A broader conversation

Pham’s departure has added to an ongoing discussion about burnout in the tech industry. Another senior researcher, Mrinank Sharma from Anthropic, also recently stepped down, though for different reasons.

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For now, Pham is choosing to pause rather than continue in high-pressure AI roles. His post has shifted some attention to the people working behind the scenes in AI labs, where the push for progress often comes with personal strain that is not always visible.