Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, has answered questions about a controversial equity elimination clause appearing in exit agreements for departing staff of the firm. Altman assured that vested employee equity would be untouched following some high-profile resignations such as Jan Leike, an AI ethics researcher who recently left.
The clause on which OpenAI indicated that it could potentially cancel stock options vested to employees upon leaving raised issues on the ethical and moral purpose behind such a regulation. This was a statement by Altman who took total blame for its inclusion and called it an embarrassing mistake that should not have been there.
“This is on me and one of the few times I’ve been genuinely embarrassed running openai; i did not know this was happening and i should have.” according to Altman. He went on to say that since the clause had never taken place before, former employees could approach him directly for further clarification.
Due to concerns about how much of its rapid product development is truly being directed toward AI safety research, OpenAI is being forced to reevaluate its goals. The management of the corporation has reorganized several teams, but they still prioritize safety above all else, even as they cautiously advance AI capabilities.
Also Read: Theo Jaffee Resigns from OpenAI and Criticizes the Company
