OpenAI Names Ex-NSA Chief Paul Nakasone to Board

OpenAI Appoints Retired US Army General to Board of Directors

OpenAI has appointed retired US Army General Paul Nakasone to its board of directors, leveraging his extensive experience in cybersecurity to safeguard its technological developments. Nakasone, who previously headed the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Cyber Command, will serve on the board’s Safety and Security Committee. This committee is tasked with advising on vital safety and security decisions for the company.

OpenAI underscored the significance of secure innovation in a statement on its website, featuring comments from Bret Taylor, chair of OpenAI's board. "Artificial Intelligence has the potential to have huge positive impacts on people’s lives, but it can only meet this potential if these innovations are securely built and deployed," said Taylor. He emphasized that Nakasone’s unmatched expertise in cybersecurity would be instrumental in guiding OpenAI towards its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.

This appointment follows a series of strategic moves by OpenAI earlier this year to strengthen its board's composition. In March, CEO Sam Altman rejoined the board after being cleared of any wrongdoing in an independent investigation related to his ouster in November. Following the conclusion of this probe, OpenAI expanded its board with the inclusion of Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Nicole Seligman, an ex-Sony Entertainment executive; and Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart.

In its statement, the company noted, "As AI technology becomes more capable on the path to artificial general intelligence, we are becoming more resilient to increasingly sophisticated cyber security threats over time." This strategic enhancement in board membership aims to address the evolving challenges and threats associated with advancing AI technology.