Sam Altman departs OpenAI’s safety committee

Sam Altman departs OpenAI's Safety Committee, replaced by an independent group chaired by Zico Kolter.

: Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, leaves the internal Safety and Security Committee. This group will now be chaired by Carnegie Mellon’s Zico Kolter and include prominent figures like Adam D’Angelo and Paul Nakasone. Altman's departure follows criticism and increased lobbying by OpenAI. The company might raise over $6.5 billion, possibly changing its nonprofit structure.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has stepped down from the company's internal Safety and Security Committee. This committee will transition into an independent board oversight group chaired by Carnegie Mellon professor Zico Kolter and involving members such as Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, retired U.S. Army General Paul Nakasone, and former Sony EVP Nicole Seligman, all of whom are on OpenAI’s board of directors.

Following Altman's departure, the committee conducted a safety review of OpenAI's latest AI model, o1, and will continue to receive regular updates from safety and security teams. The group retains the authority to delay releases until safety concerns are resolved and aims to optimize model launch processes with well-defined safety criteria.

Altman's exit coincides with criticisms from U.S. senators and former OpenAI staff regarding the company's regulatory approaches. Amid growing profit incentives, OpenAI is rumored to be raising over $6.5 billion in funding, potentially abandoning its hybrid nonprofit structure to align better with commercial goals.

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