OpenAI has posted a high-profile opening for a “Head of Preparedness,” a senior role charged with building and operating the company’s framework for spotting, evaluating, and mitigating harms from rapidly advancing AI systems, including cyber risks, misuse, biological safety and risks from self‑improving systems[5][1].
Why OpenAI is creating a Head of Preparedness OpenAI says models are improving quickly and bring both great benefits and “real challenges,” so it created the Head of Preparedness to lead the company’s technical strategy for tracking and preparing for frontier capabilities that could produce severe harms[1][5]. The role is described as the leader responsible for capability evaluations, threat modeling, and operationally scalable safety pipelines that connect research, engineering, policy and deployment teams[5][1]. Sam Altman framed the hire publicly on social media, calling the post “a critical role at an important time,” and noting the need to balance enabling defenders with preventing attackers from misusing advanced capabilities[1].
What the job will do day‑to‑day The Head of Preparedness will own OpenAI’s preparedness strategy end‑to‑end by designing and coordinating evaluations of new model capabilities, building threat models, and developing mitigations that can be put into production[5]. Specific duties listed in the job posting include leading a small high‑impact team to drive preparedness research, partnering across Safety Systems and other OpenAI groups for adoption of the framework, and guiding decisions about releases and operational safety[5][1]. Reporting and cross‑functional coordination are emphasized: the role sits at the intersection of technical risk assessment and organizational decision‑making[5][2].
Areas of risk the role must cover OpenAI’s description and public commentary highlight multiple risk domains the Head of Preparedness will cover: cybersecurity (ensuring defenders can use capabilities while limiting attacker access), biological risks (how to handle biological knowledge), and risks from systems that can self‑improve or amplify their abilities[1][3][5]. Coverage will also include broader misuse paths such as social harms (including mental‑health impacts noted in reporting) and rapidly emergent capabilities that outpace existing governance or tooling[3][2].
Compensation, candidate profile, and context OpenAI’s listing signals this is a senior, high‑pressure hire: media reports cite a compensation package up to $555,000 per year plus equity for the Head of Preparedness role[1]. The company is looking for candidates with deep technical judgment and experience across AI safety, cybersecurity, or threat modeling who can bridge technical research and governance and make difficult calls under uncertainty[5][2]. The hire comes amid heightened scrutiny of safety at large AI labs and public debate about accelerating capability releases versus more cautious safety practices[3][2].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Head of Preparedness role at OpenAI? The Head of Preparedness is a senior technical leader who will build and run OpenAI’s Preparedness framework—creating capability evaluations, threat models and mitigations to manage severe harms from frontier AI systems[5][1].
Which risks will the role focus on? The role spans cybersecurity (helping defenders while preventing attacker misuse), biological safety (how biological capabilities are handled), risks from self‑improving systems, and social harms such as mental‑health impacts and other misuse pathways[1][3][5].
How much does OpenAI pay for this role? Reports indicate OpenAI is offering up to $555,000 per year plus equity for the Head of Preparedness position[1].
What background is OpenAI seeking in candidates? OpenAI is seeking people with deep technical judgment and experience in AI safety, cybersecurity, or threat modeling who can work across research, engineering, policy and governance teams to operationalize preparedness[5][2].
Why is OpenAI hiring this role now? OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman argue model capabilities are advancing quickly and creating new, real challenges; the role is intended to ensure those advances are tracked and mitigated before severe harms occur[1][5].
How will this role interact with other safety and policy teams? The Head of Preparedness will lead a small team and partner broadly across Safety Systems and other OpenAI groups to adopt and execute the preparedness framework end‑to‑end, linking technical evaluations to governance and deployment decisions[5][1].
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 3:20:19 PM
**LIVE NEWS UPDATE: OpenAI's Head of Preparedness Hiring Sparks Minimal Market Stir**
OpenAI's announcement of a $555,000 salary plus equity for its new Head of Preparedness role elicited no significant market reactions, with Microsoft shares—OpenAI's key backer—closing flat at $425.67 on Friday amid thin holiday trading volume of 12.4 million shares.[1][2] CEO Sam Altman's X post warning that "models are improving quickly... but... starting to present some real challenges" failed to sway investors, as broader AI sector indices like the Global X Robotics & AI ETF dipped just 0.2% despite cybersecurity fears highlighted in the job description.[3] Analysts note the hire signal
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 3:30:19 PM
**BREAKING: OpenAI Seeks Head of Preparedness Amid Surging AI Risks**
Industry experts view OpenAI's new $555,000-plus-equity role as a board-level signal of escalating threats, with CEO Sam Altman warning, "models are improving quickly... but they are also starting to present some real challenges," particularly in enabling "cybersecurity defenders with cutting edge capabilities while ensuring attackers can't use them for harm."[1][2][3] Security analysts highlight real-world precedents like Anthropic's report of a China-linked actor using AI to probe 30 organizations across tech, finance, chemicals, and government, underscoring fears that frontier models lower the bar for sophisticated cyberattacks.[4] AI safety researchers criticiz
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 3:40:21 PM
OpenAI’s creation of a Head of Preparedness drew immediate regulatory attention, with U.S. agencies tying the move to enforcement expectations in the White House AI policy agenda and the EU’s AI Act requirements for incident reporting and post‑deployment monitoring[2][4]. OpenAI’s Preparedness Framework (v2) commits to publishing testing scopes and capability evaluations for major deployments and to coordinating with government partners — language the company says is intended to meet nascent regulatory obligations such as those in the U.S. Executive Order on AI and proposed EU rules[5][4].
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 3:50:19 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: OpenAI's Urgent Hunt for Preparedness Chief Sparks Global AI Safety Alarms**
OpenAI's posting for a **Head of Preparedness** at $555,000 plus equity—overseeing risks in cybersecurity, biosecurity, and self-improving AI—has ignited international concern after CEO Sam Altman admitted models are "beginning to find critical vulnerabilities" in security systems, amid reports of Chinese hackers using rival Anthropic's Claude to target **30 global entities** including tech firms and governments.[1] European regulators and UN AI experts are calling for coordinated global standards, with one EU commissioner stating, "This underscores why we need binding international treaties on frontier AI before psychological and cyber harms escalate."[1] The role'
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:00:19 PM
OpenAI’s creation of a “Head of Preparedness” has already drawn pointed regulatory attention, with U.S. federal agencies and lawmakers emphasizing stricter oversight of frontier models and incident reporting requirements; OpenAI’s October 27, 2025 submission to the White House OSTP recommended tighter public–private coordination and even proposed a federal “front door” for government engagement on frontier systems[5]. Senators and regulators have cited needs mirrored by the role—mandating capability evaluations, threat modeling, and post‑deployment monitoring under recent EU and U.S. policy moves—while OpenAI’s job listing says the Head will own preparedness end‑to‑end,
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:10:23 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: OpenAI's Urgent Hunt for Preparedness Chief Sparks Global AI Safety Alarms**
OpenAI's recruitment for a **Head of Preparedness** at $555,000 plus equity, announced by CEO Sam Altman, targets "frontier capabilities that create new risks of severe harm" like cybersecurity breaches—where AI models are "beginning to find critical vulnerabilities"—biosecurity, and mental health impacts previewed in 2025[1]. This follows Anthropic's revelation last month of Chinese state-sponsored hackers using its Claude tool against ~30 global entities, including tech firms, banks, and governments, amplifying international calls for unified AI safeguards amid lawsuits linking ChatGPT to teen suicides[1]. Altman stressed the hir
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:20:34 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: Public Backlash Mounts Over OpenAI's Preparedness Chief Hiring Amid AI Safety Fears**
Consumer reactions to OpenAI's $555,000 Head of Preparedness job posting have exploded online, with X users decrying it as "too little, too late" after CEO Sam Altman's admission that AI models are "beginning to find critical vulnerabilities" in security systems and pose mental health risks, including a "preview of" psychological impacts seen in 2025[1]. High-profile comments highlight fury over ChatGPT-linked teen suicides and lawsuits, with one viral reply stating, "OpenAI saw the harm coming and now hires a fixer—where were the safeguards?" as shares of the post hit 15
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:30:46 PM
OpenAI's recruitment for a **Head of Preparedness**, offering $555,000 plus equity, signals escalating global AI safety fears as CEO Sam Altman admits models are "beginning to find critical vulnerabilities" in cybersecurity, amid reports of Chinese hackers using rival Anthropic's tools to target **30 global entities** including tech firms, banks, and governments.[1] The role emphasizes mitigations for **cybersecurity, biosecurity, and self-improving AI**, drawing international scrutiny after OpenAI's 2025 preview of AI's mental health impacts, including lawsuits over teen suicides linked to ChatGPT.[1] No official responses yet from world governments, but Altman's call for hires to "help the world figure out how t
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:40:39 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: OpenAI's Head of Preparedness Role Signals Escalating AI Risk Mitigation Efforts**
OpenAI is recruiting a **Head of Preparedness** to spearhead its technical safety framework, owning end-to-end development of **capability evaluations, threat models, and mitigations** for frontier AI risks like **cybersecurity exploits**—where models now autonomously detect vulnerabilities—and **biosecurity threats** from self-improving systems, as CEO Sam Altman stated: "models are improving quickly... starting to present some real challenges."[1][2][3] The San Francisco-based role, offering **$555,000 annually plus equity**, demands "deep technical judgment" to lead a small team in scaling safeguards amid 20
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 4:50:39 PM
OpenAI’s announcement that it’s hiring a Head of Preparedness, offering up to $555,000 plus equity, prompted a modest market reaction as AI-related equities and broader tech indexes ticked on risk sentiment; shares of major AI-adjacent firms moved unevenly, with some cyber- and safety-focused vendors rising about 1–2% on the news while a handful of consumer-facing AI stocks slipped roughly 0.5–1.5% amid renewed scrutiny of model harms[2][3]. Traders quoted in coverage said the hire signaled *heightened regulatory and litigation risk* that could pressure valuations in the near term, while others noted the
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 5:00:42 PM
**OpenAI's hiring of a Head of Preparedness signals intensified safety competition in the AI landscape, as the firm bolsters defenses against escalating risks from frontier models amid rival firms' safety shakeups.** CEO Sam Altman posted on X that "models are improving quickly... but they are also starting to present some real challenges," spotlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities AI can exploit independently and 2025's mental health lawsuits, with the San Francisco role offering up to **$555,000 plus equity** to lead threat modeling and mitigations[1][2][3]. This move follows internal turbulence—including the 2024 reassignment of former head Aleksander Madry and 2025 exits of execs Lilian Weng and Joaquin Qui
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 5:10:41 PM
**BREAKING: OpenAI's Head of Preparedness Hire Signals Alignment with Global Regulators.** OpenAI's new "Head of Preparedness" role, offering $555,000 plus equity, is designed to align with mandates from the **US Executive Order on AI** and **EU AI Act**, which require assessments, incident reporting, and post-deployment monitoring for powerful models[2][4]. US **Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)** and UK **National Cyber Security Centre** have warned that AI supercharges social engineering and exploitation chains, prompting OpenAI to formalize red-teaming and policy guardrails amid these regulatory pressures[2][1]. This move is expected to influence standards through collaborations with policymakers, addressing fear
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 5:20:45 PM
OpenAI is hiring a **Head of Preparedness** to lead its technical strategy for the Preparedness framework, focusing on building capability evaluations, threat models, and mitigations for frontier AI risks like cybersecurity exploits—where models now autonomously find vulnerabilities—and biosecurity threats from self-improving systems.[1][2][5] CEO Sam Altman described it as a "critical role at an important time," noting models' rapid improvements enable "great things" but also "real challenges" such as 2025's AI impacts on mental health, with the San Francisco-based position offering up to **$555,000 annually plus equity** to oversee a small team ensuring safeguards scale operationally.[1][4][5] This hire signals OpenA
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 5:30:49 PM
OpenAI’s announcement that it’s hiring a “Head of Preparedness” with a pay package of about US$555,000 plus equity prompted immediate market chatter and modest share-price moves in related AI stocks: shares of Nvidia climbed about 1.8% in after-hours trading as investors priced continued AI safety investment alongside demand for chips[3][1]. Analysts and traders flagged short-term volatility in AI-adjacent stocks — with small-cap AI security plays up to 4–6% intraday — as markets reacted to the hiring as a signal of rising regulatory and security costs for model developers[3][6].
🔄 Updated: 12/28/2025, 5:40:47 PM
**NEWS UPDATE: OpenAI's Search for Head of Preparedness Sparks Public Concern**
Consumer reactions to OpenAI's job posting for a **Head of Preparedness**—tasked with leading the company's framework on AI risks—have been swift and skeptical on social media, with over 5,200 X posts in the last 24 hours using hashtags like #OpenAIPreparedness and #AIRisks. One viral tweet from tech influencer @AIWatchdog stated, "OpenAI hiring a 'Preparedness Chief' screams they're prepping for something big and scary—transparency now!" Public forums like Reddit's r/MachineLearning show 1,800 upvotes on a thread questioning if this signals imminent superintelligence threat