Paul Christiano Appointed to OpenAI Foundation Board of Directors

Researcher Paul Christiano, known for his work to ensure AI systems remain under human control, has begun his role as a member of the OpenAI Foundation's board of directors.

Process of Joining the Board of Directors

Paul Christiano, an influential researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, has joined the board of directors of the OpenAI Foundation. This development was announced to the public by the AI lab on Wednesday.

Warnings Regarding the Industry's Safety Status

In a statement on social media, Christiano stated that he believes the rapid acceleration in AI capabilities carries a risk of loss of control that could result in catastrophe in the near term.

He also stated that the AI industry and OpenAI are not yet on the right track to reduce this risk to an acceptable level, and explained that he joined the board because he sees the potential to significantly reduce risks.

Safety Procedures and New Role

Christiano will serve on the Safety and Security Committee, chaired by Carnegie Mellon University professor Zico Kolter. This committee has the final say on whether new models like Astra will be released.

Past Work and Government Advising

Christiano, who was among the developers of reinforcement learning from human feedback—a critical technique in training large language models—left OpenAI in 2021 to found the Alignment Research Center.

According to the lab's announcement, Christiano will continue to advise the government while carrying out his new board duties, but will recuse himself from OpenAI matters and model evaluations.