Karpathy's Latest Title at Anthropic: Member of Technical Staff (MTS)

Andrej Karpathy, co-founder of OpenAI, former director of AI at Tesla, and one of the most cited AI researchers globally, recently updated his X (formerly Twitter) bio to include "MTS (Member of Technical Staff) @Anthropic." The modest title surprised many, given his superstar status in the AI field. Social media erupted with reactions ranging from disbelief to mockery. One user posted, "Anthropic, you really plan to make Karpathy just a technical staff?" The post went viral.

Karpathy responded calmly, defending Anthropic's decision: "Anthropic did it right. A large company with no workplace bureaucracy—it's great. A bunch of MTS members aiming for one mission." However, many were unconvinced. A commenter joked, "If they gave you an intern title, that would be even funnier." Karpathy shot back, citing Geoffrey Hinton's former title at Google—intern.

MTS is not unique to Karpathy. Many senior figures joining Anthropic and OpenAI in recent years have adopted the same title. Peter Bailis, former Workday CTO and Google VP, is now an MTS focusing on reinforcement learning at Anthropic. Mike Krieger, Instagram co-founder and former CTO, joined Anthropic in May 2024 as CPO but later switched to MTS, currently working on Claude Code. The trend has sparked curiosity about the real meaning of MTS.

Contrary to its modest name, MTS comes with substantial compensation. According to H-1B visa data disclosed in 2025, Anthropic MTS salaries range from $300,000 to $405,000, while OpenAI's range from $210,000 to $530,000 annually. As one commenter noted, "Tell me you earn that much, and I won't care about the title!"

The article explores three main advantages of the MTS system. First, it deters headhunters by making it harder to distinguish between levels and roles. Second, it promotes cultural identity, flattening hierarchy to encourage research-driven collaboration. Third, it breaks down departmental silos, allowing individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute creatively. As AI lowers skill barriers, these titles help foster cross-disciplinary talent.

However, critics argue that this flat hierarchy is hypocritical. One user wrote, "It's too awkward and pretentious... Those who claim not to care about titles start calling themselves 'VP' on LinkedIn once they leave." From a practical standpoint, very few organizations have scaled without hierarchy—Valve and early GitHub being rare examples, both with mixed reviews. Critics note that hidden power structures can still exist, with senior employees forming an invisible inner circle.

The most compelling argument for MTS may be anti-poaching. But one LinkedIn comment highlighted a deeper issue: "This pseudo-flat hierarchy being praised as virtue is weird. Founders clearly have hierarchy, just employees don't know it. And what's wrong with other companies contacting your employees? Employees are not property; everyone has the right to showcase their skills."

Ultimately, the debate reveals a tension between idealism and pragmatism. Karpathy can afford to be indifferent to titles, but for an average engineer with three years of experience, that title might be the most critical bargaining chip in the next job search. As one commenter summed up, "You're Karpathy, so you can write anything. But what if your name is Zhang San?" The MTS system works well for stars, but its impact on ordinary employees remains controversial.