OpenAI Opens Search for Head of Preparedness to Address Emerging AI Risks

OpenAI has launched a search for a senior executive to lead its efforts in identifying and managing emerging risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence, spanning areas such as computer security, biological misuse, and mental health impacts. The new Head of Preparedness role will be responsible for executing OpenAI’s Preparedness Framework, which governs how the company tracks, evaluates, and mitigates risks from frontier AI capabilities that could cause severe harm.

CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that increasingly capable models are beginning to surface real-world challenges, including the discovery of critical software vulnerabilities and potential psychological effects on users. The position, which carries compensation of $555,000 plus equity, builds on a team established in 2023 to study both immediate and long-term AI risks. The hiring comes amid heightened scrutiny of generative AI’s societal and safety implications.