OpenAI has recently made further reductions to its safety-focused initiatives by disbanding its AGI Readiness team, which was tasked with preparing for artificial general intelligence. Miles Brundage, who served as a senior advisor on the team, announced his departure from the company in a Substack post on Wednesday.
In his announcement, Brundage indicated a desire for independence in his work, suggesting his departure is motivated by a wish to influence AI development from outside the industry. He mentioned that he had achieved much of what he intended to do at OpenAI.
Brundage also voiced broader concerns, stating that neither OpenAI nor any other leading laboratory is prepared for the challenges of AGI and noting that the world at large is not ready either. Several senior members within OpenAI reportedly share these concerns. Following the dissolution of the AGI Readiness team, former members will be reallocated to other divisions within OpenAI.
A spokesperson for OpenAI told CNBC that the company supports Brundage’s decision to leave. Nonetheless, this development comes at a challenging time for OpenAI, which has been experiencing changes in its senior leadership. Although the company recruited a leading AI researcher from Microsoft, this addition does not address the numerous recent vacancies in its upper management.
These leadership changes and team disbandments are contributing to growing apprehensions about OpenAI’s pursuit of AGI, especially following its controversial decision to transition from a nonprofit to a fully for-profit entity. In May, OpenAI had previously disbanded its SuperAlignment team, which was focused on developing breakthroughs to guide and manage AI systems that surpass human intelligence. During the same period, OpenAI reassigned its top AI safety leader, prompting concerns within the AI ethics community.
