A new role has opened up at OpenAI and it pays extraordinarily well. The job is that of ‘head of preparedness’. The selected candidate will be responsible for keeping in check the adverse effects of artificial intelligence (AI), including risk to mental health and cybersecurity. The salary? A whopping $555,000 per annum!
The role offers a heavy pay cheque because it is a critical and highly responsible one. After all, AI is presenting unprecedented challenges at work in addition to its advantages what with new models emerging rapidly. Also, with AI becoming more advanced and with its capabilities increasing, the chances of its misuse have also multiplied. The head of preparedness at OpenAI will be tasked with curbing the adverse effects of AI on not just the organisation but also the world in general so that the strengths of AI can be leveraged to the maximum.
Simply put, among other responsibilities, the head of preparedness will help find ways to give cybersecurity defenders advanced tools while making sure attackers cannot misuse them, with the larger goal of making systems more secure. Similar care and caution are required when releasing biological capabilities and when building confidence in the safety of systems that could improve themselves.
Clearly the job will come with its share of stress and complexities. The candidate selected for the same would have to be prepared to dive in straight away, and that too into the deep end.



