San Francisco: OpenAI has launched a high-profile search for a new Head of Preparedness, a senior role aimed at anticipating and mitigating the growing risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence systems, the company announced this week. The position, which offers a base salary of $555,000 plus equity, underscores the prominence of safety concerns as AI models become more capable and integrated into everyday life.
The Head of Preparedness will lead OpenAI’s Preparedness Framework, a set of internal strategies to monitor emerging capabilities that could create “new risks of severe harm,” and coordinate threat models, capability evaluations and mitigation strategies across risk domains including cybersecurity, mental health impacts and potential biological misuse.
In announcing the role on social media platform X, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman described the job as “stressful” and said the company was entering “a world where we need more nuanced understanding and measurement of how those capabilities could be abused.”
“This is a critical role at an important time,” Altman wrote, highlighting the rapid pace of AI development. Analysts say the position reflects mounting pressure on AI firms to strengthen safety practices amid rising criticism and legal challenges related to harms associated with AI outputs.
Industry observers note the breadth of the role, which spans technical strategy, ecosystem engagement and risk governance, makes it a demanding leadership post. OpenAI’s previous Head of Preparedness was reassigned in 2024, leaving a gap in its Safety Systems organisation.