OpenAI announced Thursday that retired U.S. Army general and former NSA director Paul M. Nakasone has joined its board of directors. Nakasone was appointed head of the NSA by former US President Donald Trump in 2018 and served in this position until February 2023. During his tenure at NSA, he was particularly instrumental in the renewal of Section 702 of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
OpenAI announced that Nakasone will join its Safety and Security Committee. This committee was established by CEO Sam Altman in May, and Nakasone's primary task here will be to study how artificial intelligence can strengthen cyber security. Additionally, Nakasone's experience will contribute to efforts to quickly respond to cybersecurity threats.
Recently, there have been significant changes regarding security issues at OpenAI. Co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever played a key role in the dismissal and reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman. At the same time, Jan Leike, who stated that the security culture was in the background, also left the company.
OpenAI Chairman Bret Taylor stated that artificial intelligence has the potential to create huge positive impacts on people. However, he emphasized that artificial intelligence must be developed and used safely in order to realize this potential. General Nakasone's unique experience in cybersecurity will support OpenAI's mission in this area.
With Nakasone's participation, the OpenAI board of directors has become even stronger. Current board members include Sam Altman, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, Bret Taylor, Dr. Featuring Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Nicole Seligman and Fidji Simo. Additionally, Microsoft's Dee Templeton is on board as a non-voting observer.
OpenAI remains committed to developing safe and effective artificial intelligence technologies. Nakasone's addition to the board of directors will increase the company's competence in the field of cyber security. OpenAI aims to create systems that are more resilient against future cyber threats.
Safe artificial intelligence technologies are of critical importance not only for technological developments but also for social benefit. OpenAI believes that these technologies should be developed safely and responsibly. Nakasone's experience will play an important role in achieving these goals.
In summary, Paul M. Nakasone's addition to OpenAI's board of directors reinforces the company's commitment to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence technologies. Nakasone's unique experience will provide valuable contributions to OpenAI's mission of developing safe and effective artificial intelligence. This development will enable OpenAI to take a stronger stance against future cyber threats.