Tue Dec 30 13:10:00 UTC 2025: ## OpenAI Seeks “Head of Preparedness” to Avert AI Apocalypse Amid Growing Fears

San Francisco, CA – OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is on the hunt for a “Head of Preparedness” willing to tackle what some describe as an impossible task: safeguarding humanity from the potential dangers of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence. The lucrative position, boasting a $555,000 annual salary and equity in the $500 billion company, comes at a critical juncture as experts warn of AI’s potential to be weaponized, pose cybersecurity threats, and even “turn against us.”

The chosen candidate will be responsible for identifying and mitigating emerging threats, tracking frontier capabilities, and preparing for risks of “severe harm,” according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “This will be a stressful job, and you’ll jump into the deep end pretty much immediately,” Altman acknowledged.

The search comes amidst rising anxieties within the AI community. Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, recently stated, “I honestly think that if you’re not a little bit afraid at this moment, then you’re not paying attention.” Nobel laureate and Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis echoed these concerns, warning of AI potentially going “off the rails in some way that harms humanity.”

The need for preparedness is further underscored by recent developments, including reports of AI-enabled cyberattacks by state actors and OpenAI’s own admission that its latest model is significantly more proficient at hacking.

Beyond security risks, OpenAI is facing legal challenges stemming from alleged misuse of ChatGPT. Lawsuits claim the AI chatbot contributed to the suicide of a teenager and exacerbated the paranoid delusions of a man who subsequently committed murder-suicide. OpenAI maintains that the technology was misused in the first case and is reviewing the second, stating it is working to improve ChatGPT’s ability to recognize and respond to users showing signs of distress.

The lack of robust AI regulation at both national and international levels, likened by computer scientist Yoshua Bengio to a sandwich having more oversight than AI, puts the onus on companies like OpenAI to self-regulate. With the “Head of Preparedness” role, OpenAI hopes to proactively address the growing concerns and ensure the responsible development and deployment of increasingly powerful AI.

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