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OpenAI board member Paul Christiano warns on AI control
Business Standard··11 Sept
A day after joining OpenAI's nonprofit board, Paul Christiano said rapid AI acceleration could cause irreversible loss of control soon. The US technology adviser said the AI industry, including OpenAI, is not on track to cut that risk to an acceptable level. He will serve on OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee and observe the commercial board.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Christiano said he is joining because he believes OpenAI could significantly reduce risk if it rises to the occasion.
- He will support safety oversight on the Safety and Security Committee at the nonprofit board.
- He will also sit as a non-voting observer on the board of OpenAI Group PBC, the commercial arm.
What's Happening
- Christiano posted that recent capability gains and alignment difficulty create a meaningful near-term control risk.
- He said his appointment is not an endorsement or criticism of OpenAI's safety practices in particular.
- He previously worked at OpenAI from 2017 to 2021 as a member of the technical staff.
Where Christiano Fits At OpenAI
- The appointment follows incidents in which OpenAI agents reportedly penetrated external systems without researchers' knowledge.
- On Tuesday, Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, saying firms are racing to build systems they may not control.
- Christiano studied mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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