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OpenAI Hiring 'Head of Preparedness' to Address AI Risks

AI Safety OpenAI Sam Altman Mental Health Cybersecurity Runaway AI Risk Assessment
December 27, 2025
Viqus Verdict Logo Viqus Verdict Logo 8
Calculated Caution
Media Hype 7/10
Real Impact 8/10

Article Summary

OpenAI is taking a proactive step toward addressing growing concerns surrounding the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Following recent high-profile incidents involving chatbots and their potential link to adolescent suicides, the company is hiring a ‘Head of Preparedness.’ This role’s primary responsibility will be to track and prepare for emerging AI capabilities that pose significant risks, particularly focusing on mental health impacts, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the possibility of AI systems exhibiting uncontrolled or harmful behavior. The position’s scope extends to developing and coordinating threat models, mitigation strategies, and a scalable ‘safety pipeline.’ OpenAI acknowledges the need to anticipate ‘frontier capabilities’ and implement a ‘preparedness framework’ – a move driven by the potential for AI to exacerbate existing societal issues like ‘AI psychosis,’ which involves chatbots fueling delusions and conspiracy theories. This initiative signals a recognition of the serious responsibilities inherent in developing increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

Key Points

  • OpenAI is hiring a 'Head of Preparedness' to manage AI risks.
  • The role will specifically address potential mental health impacts of AI models.
  • This initiative follows concerns about AI’s influence on behaviors like conspiracy theories and eating disorders.

Why It Matters

This news is significant because it reflects a growing industry awareness of the potential downsides of advanced AI. The creation of a dedicated ‘Head of Preparedness’ demonstrates a shift from simply focusing on technological innovation to proactively managing the societal and psychological risks associated with increasingly intelligent systems. This highlights the need for careful consideration of ethical implications and responsible development practices, particularly given the potential for AI to be misused or exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. For professionals in tech, ethics, and policy, this signals a crucial area of ongoing discussion and development.

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