OpenAI dissolves its Safety Team after exit of its Chief Scientist

Following the departure of the group’s two leaders, including OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, the CHatGPT owned company has reportedly dissolved a team focused on ensuring the safety of possible future ultra-capable artificial intelligence systems. Instead of maintaining the so-called superalignment team as a standalone entity, OpenAI is now integrating the group more deeply across its research efforts to help the company achieve its safety goals.

Company co-founder Ilya Sutskever and team co-leader Jan Leike announced their departures from the ChatGPT-maker this week.

The disbanding of the OpenAI team focused on keeping sophisticated artificial intelligence under control comes during times when technology faces increased scrutiny from regulators and fears mount regarding its dangers.

"OpenAI must become a safety-first AGI (artificial general intelligence) company," Leike wrote Friday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Leike called on all OpenAI employees to "act with the gravitas" warranted by what they are building.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, on his part, responded to Leike's post with one of his own, thanking him for his work at the company and saying he was sad to see Leike leave.

If reports are to be believed, OpenAI weeks ago began dissolving the so-called "superalignment" group, integrating members into other projects and research.