OpenAI’s trust and safety lead, Dave Willner, has left the position, as announcedWillner is staying on in an “advisory role” but has asked Linkedin followers to “reach out” for related opportunities. The former OpenAI project lead states that the move comes after a decision to spend more time with his family. Yes, that’s what they always say, but Willner follows it up with actual details.
“In the months following the launch of ChatGPT, I've found it more and more difficult to keep up my end of the bargain,” he writes. “OpenAI is going through a high-intensity phase in its development — and so are our kids. Anyone with young children and a super intense job can relate to that tension.”
He continues to say he’s “proud of everything” the company accomplished during his tenure and noted it was “one of the coolest and most interesting jobs” in the world. Of course, this transition comes hot on the heels of some legal hurdles facing OpenAI and its signature product, ChatGPT. The FTCinto the company over concerns that it is violating consumer protection laws and engaging in “unfair or deceptive" practices that could hurt the public's privacy and security. The investigation does involve a bug that leaked users’ private data, which certainly seems to fall under the purview of trust and safety.