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OpenAI Seeks Head of Preparedness to Lead AI Risk Strategy, Offering $555,000

The search signals a push to rebuild safety leadership under intensifying legal pressures and cybersecurity concerns.

Overview

  • CEO Sam Altman announced the open San Francisco–based role, calling it a stressful position that will require jumping in immediately.
  • The hire will lead OpenAI’s Preparedness framework by building capability evaluations, threat models, and mitigations that inform product launch decisions.
  • Scope spans mental‑health risks, cybersecurity and biosecurity concerns, and safeguards for systems that can self‑improve, according to the job listing.
  • The position follows turnover in preparedness and safety leadership since 2024, including the reassignment of Aleksander Madry and subsequent departures by Lilian Weng and Joaquin Quinonero Candela.
  • OpenAI highlights rising scrutiny, including lawsuits over ChatGPT’s alleged mental‑health harms, and notes it recently updated its Preparedness Framework with potential adjustments to safety requirements based on competitor actions.