OpenAI Seeks AI Safety Chief Amid Growing Risks

As artificial intelligence systems grow more powerful, OpenAI is taking dramatic steps to address potential dangers. The company posted a job listing for a "Preparedness Lead" offering $550,000 annually plus equity - compensation normally reserved for top researchers and executives.

Guarding Against AI's Dark Side

The new hire will develop systems to identify and prevent catastrophic scenarios including:

• AI-assisted biological or chemical weapons development
• Autonomous systems behaving unpredictably
• Large-scale social manipulation through generated content

"This isn't just another safety role," CEO Sam Altman emphasized internally. "It's about shaping how we responsibly develop transformative technologies."

Unusual Authority Comes With Position

The Preparedness Lead holds rare veto power over product launches and reports directly to OpenAI's safety leadership. The role remained vacant after interim leadership by MIT professor-turned-OpenAI-VP Aleksander Madry, suggesting the difficulty in finding qualified candidates.

At $550K, the salary nearly doubles typical security engineering positions - signaling how seriously OpenAI takes proactive risk assessment versus after-the-fact fixes.

Industry-Wide Safety Shift Emerges

The move mirrors similar initiatives at Anthropic and Google DeepMind as AI safety evolves from compliance checkbox to strategic priority. Where security teams once focused on patching vulnerabilities, they now help design fundamentally safer systems from inception.

Key Points:

• High-stakes hiring: Role carries unusual authority including product launch vetoes
• Premium compensation: $550K salary reflects strategic importance of position
• Industry trend: Major labs shifting from reactive to proactive safety approaches
• Broad responsibilities: From cyber defense frameworks to misinformation prevention