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Recently, the Financial Times reported that OpenAI has disbanded its preparedness team as of the end of last month. This team was tasked with evaluating potential risks associated with AI models and creating strategies to alleviate those risks—concerns that included the possibility of AI systems acting unpredictably and compromising other companies. Now, the responsibilities once held by this team have been reassigned to existing departments, focusing on specific areas such as biotechnology and cybersecurity.
This recent shift is part of a broader transformation within OpenAI, which is undergoing significant changes as it gears up for a likely IPO. Over the past few years, the organization has gradually dismantled its previous, more expansive operational structure, including the disbanding of its AGI readiness and superalignment teams. High-profile departures have also occurred, including those of ethics head Chloé Bakalar, Chief Futurist Josh Achiam, and head of safety Johannes Heidecke. Critics such as Jan Leike, who left OpenAI in 2024, have voiced concerns that the company is neglecting safety considerations in favor of developing new, attention-grabbing products.
Dylan Scandinaro, who previously joined OpenAI from Anthropic in February to lead the preparedness team, will now shift his focus to exploring the implications of AI systems that are capable of recursive self-improvement.
