OpenAI's latest: Half-million-dollar role is 'stressful', says Sam Altman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made some outright remarks for the company's latest opening for which it is actively hiring a new employee, with a lucrative salary package of over a million dollars, describing the role as "stressful".

The new OpenAI job opening is that of a “head of preparedness,” who will be responsible for tackling the increasing dangers associated with artificial intelligence (AI).

Altman's vocal description for the currently open job at OpenAI was shared in a recent X (formerly Twitter) post, in which he stated, “This will be a stressful job and you’ll jump into the deep end pretty much immediately,” while emphasising the position's challenges.

The hiring has been initiated in the wake of rising concerns about AI risks affecting company operations and reputations.

A recent analysis revealed that 418 companies, all valued at over $1 billion, reported reputational harm linked to AI risks in their SEC filings. These risks include biased datasets and cybersecurity threats.

The alarming side of the story is that reports of AI-related reputational harm have increased by 46% compared to the previous year.

“Models are improving quickly and are now capable of many great things, but they are also starting to present some real challenges,” he admitted.

He also encouraged candidates who want to help mitigate these risks—particularly in cybersecurity and safe technology deployment—to apply for the position, adding, “If you want to help the world figure out how to enable cybersecurity defenders with cutting-edge capabilities while ensuring attackers can’t use them for harm, please consider applying.”

The previous head of preparedness, Aleksander Madry, was reassigned last year. OpenAI, originally founded in 2015 to promote safe AI development, has faced scrutiny over its commitment to safety, particularly following wrongful death lawsuits related to its ChatGPT product.

In response to these challenges, OpenAI has implemented safety measures, including the formation of an eight-person advisory council and updates to ChatGPT to better support users' mental health.

Altman acknowledged the need for a nuanced understanding of AI capabilities and their potential misuse, emphasising the importance of striking the right balance between innovation and safety.