OpenAI announced today a clear move: Vijaye Raji joins as CTO of Applications following the acquisition of Statsig. Why does this matter to you if you use or build products with AI? Because it combines large-scale engineering experience with a platform that helps you make quick, data-driven decisions. (openai.com)
What OpenAI announced
Vijaye Raji will take the role of CTO of Applications, reporting to Fidji Simo, and will lead product engineering for ChatGPT and Codex, plus core systems like infrastructure and Integrity. The news is part of OpenAI’s acquisition of Statsig. (openai.com)
The transition foresees Statsig employees becoming OpenAI employees, and the Statsig platform will continue operating from its Seattle office while integration steps are evaluated. The deal close is subject to usual conditions, including regulatory approval. (openai.com)
What is Statsig and why did they acquire it?
Statsig is an experimentation platform used for A/B tests, feature flags, and real-time decisions — key tools to iterate product changes quickly and safely. OpenAI was already using Statsig to speed up how it deploys changes and learns continuously. Bringing that capability in-house aims to boost the speed and quality of iterations in the Applications products. (openai.com)
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever gotten a different version of an app or a new feature only for some users, there’s a good chance experimentation tools like Statsig were behind it. For product teams that means less uncertainty and more informed decisions.
What changes for users, developers and companies
- For end users: faster changes and, in principle, more polished and consistent experiences thanks to systematic testing. (openai.com)
- For developers and product teams: greater access to experimentation capabilities integrated directly into the org that builds ChatGPT and Codex, which can accelerate launches and feature testing. (openai.com)
- For Statsig’s enterprise customers: the company will keep operating for now and OpenAI promises a measured approach to integration, protecting continuity and service. The acquisition can open opportunities, but it also raises questions about roadmap and privacy for existing customers. (openai.com)
Why the person matters: Vijaye Raji
Vijaye brings experience as founder and CEO of Statsig and a decade leading consumer engineering at scale at Meta. That mix of entrepreneurial vision and operational experience is what OpenAI is looking for to turn model advances into reliable, useful products for millions of people. (openai.com)
Quick reflection
This isn’t just another acquisition; it’s a bet on making fast, safe experimentation part of the core of how OpenAI launches and improves its products. Does that mean more tests, more aggressive rollouts, or greater stability? Probably a bit of all three, and the real impact will show up in the coming months as integration finishes and changes materialize.
If you want to read the original announcement, it’s available in OpenAI’s official note. (openai.com)