OpenAI has disbanded a staff that targeted on — as the corporate itself described — making certain that its AI programs are “secure, reliable, and constantly aligned with human values.” On the identical time, the staff’s former chief has been given a brand new function as the corporate’s “chief futurist.”
OpenAI confirmed to TechCrunch that the staff’s members have now been assigned to different roles. The information was first reported by Platformer.
The disbanded staff in query, which seems to have been fashioned in September of 2024, was the startup’s inner unit devoted to engaged on alignment. That’s a broad field of interest inside the trade that seeks to make sure that AI acts in accordance with human pursuits.
“We wish these programs to constantly comply with human intent in advanced, real-world situations and adversarial situations, keep away from catastrophic conduct, and stay controllable, auditable, and aligned with human values,” a post from OpenAI’s Alignment Analysis weblog declares.
An OpenAI job posting for the Alignment staff describes it as being devoted to AI analysis that focuses on “growing methodologies that allow AI to robustly comply with human intent throughout a variety of situations, together with these which can be adversarial or high-stakes.”
In a blog post revealed Wednesday, Josh Achiam, the previous head of OpenAI’s Alignment staff, defined his new function as the corporate’s chief futurist. “My aim is to help OpenAI’s mission — to make sure that synthetic normal intelligence advantages all of humanity — by learning how the world will change in response to AI, AGI, and past,” Achiam wrote.
Achiam famous that, in his new function, he could be collaborating with Jason Pruet, a physicist from OpenAI’s technical workers.
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A spokesperson for OpenAI mentioned the remainder of the Alignment staff — a gaggle of six or seven individuals — had subsequently been reassigned to totally different elements of the corporate. The spokesperson couldn’t say the place precisely the staff members had been assigned, however mentioned that they have been engaged in comparable work in these roles. It was additionally unclear whether or not Achiam would have a brand new staff as a part of his “futurist” function.
The spokesperson attributed the disbanding of the staff to the sorts of routine reorganizations that happen inside a fast-moving firm.
OpenAI beforehand had what it referred to as a “superalignment staff” — which was formed in 2023 and targeted on learning long-term existential threats posed by AI — however that staff was disbanded in 2024.
Achiam’s personal website nonetheless lists him as head of Mission Alignment at OpenAI, and describes him as being fascinated by making certain that the “long-term way forward for humanity is nice.” His LinkedIn profile reveals he had served as Head of Mission Alignment since September 2024.
