According to engadget, OpenAI is hiring a new Head of Preparedness, a role with a $555,000 salary plus equity, to anticipate potential harms and abuse of its AI models. The job, announced by CEO Sam Altman on X, is described as “stressful” where you’ll “jump into the deep end pretty much immediately.” This follows a year where OpenAI faced wrongful death lawsuits and accusations about ChatGPT’s impact on mental health. Altman specifically noted the “potential impact of models on mental health was something we saw a preview of in 2025.” The new hire will lead the technical strategy for OpenAI’s Preparedness framework, which tracks frontier AI risks. This recruitment comes after the company’s former Head of Preparedness, Aleksander Madry, was removed from the role in July 2024.
A lot of baggage
Look, let’s be real. This isn’t just a new hire; it’s a public relations reset and a direct response to mounting pressure. That “preview” of mental health impacts Altman mentions? That’s lawyer-speak for the lawsuits they’re already dealing with. The job posting itself is a fascinating read, full of high-minded talk about “frontier risks” and “severe harm.” But the subtext is screaming: “We need someone to clean up the mess and prove we’re taking this seriously.” And they’re willing to pay a premium—over half a million dollars—for that credibility.
Safety theater or real change?
Here’s the thing that makes me skeptical. This is the same company that, just months ago, saw a very public exodus of safety-focused researchers and executives. Besides Madry’s departure, the co-lead of its “Superalignment” team, Jan Leike, also quit, publicly stating that safety culture had taken a backseat to shiny products. So now they’re creating a single, high-profile “Head of Preparedness” role. Is this a genuine course correction, or is it just putting a new, expensive face on a systemic problem? The fact that Altman preemptively calls it “stressful” feels like both a warning and an excuse.
The competitive pressure cooker
This move isn’t happening in a vacuum. The entire AI industry is under a microscope, with regulators in the EU and the US drafting rules faster than ever. OpenAI isn’t just competing with Anthropic or Google on model capabilities anymore; they’re competing on who can look the most responsible. Announcing a high-caliber, well-funded preparedness role is a strategic chess move in that game. It’s a signal to enterprise customers, investors, and lawmakers: “You can trust us with the future.” But the real test won’t be the hiring announcement. It’ll be whether this new executive has any real power to slow down a product rollout when their “preparedness” framework flashes red. Given OpenAI’s breakneck pace and the internal AGI readiness efforts they’ve undergone, I wouldn’t bet on it. The new Head will be the ultimate stress test for whether safety is a core feature or just a marketing line item.
