OpenAI Offers Over Half a Million Dollars for New Head of Preparedness Amid Safety Concerns
January 6, 2026
Would you like to earn more than half a million dollars working for one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies? The catch: the role is highly stressful, and previous occupants haven't stayed long. Over the weekend, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced a new position — Head of Preparedness — to tackle emerging risks associated with rapid AI development.
The Role and Compensation
Altman revealed the opening on Saturday via X (formerly Twitter), describing the position as one focused on securing OpenAI's systems and understanding potential abuses of AI. The role offers a base salary of $555,000 plus equity. With AI models advancing rapidly and gaining new capabilities, the company recognizes the need for dedicated oversight to prevent misuse and mitigate risks.
Rising Concerns About AI and Mental Health
Altman highlighted that AI's impact on mental health has become increasingly concerning, referencing a "preview" of serious issues seen in 2025. AI chats have been linked to multiple deaths in the past year, raising alarm about the potential for emotional harm.
OpenAI's own models mirror these concerns. In April 2025, the company rolled back an update of GPT-4o after identifying it as overly sycophantic and potentially reinforcing harmful behaviors. Despite this, OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT-5.1, which incorporates more emotionally suggestive language, warm responses, and a conversational tone aimed at fostering emotional dependence—making interactions feel more human and intimate.
The Need for Safety Leadership
Given these developments, OpenAI emphasizes the importance of steering AI development responsibly. Altman stated that while the company has established metrics to gauge AI capabilities, it now requires "more nuanced understanding and measurement" of how these abilities could be exploited or cause harm.
The Head of Preparedness will lead the technical strategy and execution of OpenAI’s preparedness framework, designed to identify and mitigate risks associated with frontier AI capabilities. The role is not new but has experienced significant turnover, prompting renewed focus on safety.
Past Leadership and Turnover
Previously, Aleksander Madry, MIT's Center for Deployable Machine Learning director, held the position until July 2024 before shifting to a reasoning-focused research role. His departure followed a wave of high-profile safety leadership exits and organizational restructuring.
Joaquin Quinonero Candela and Lilian Weng later took on the role but each departed within months—Weng in November 2024 and Candela in April after a brief stint as head of recruitment. Candela has since moved away from technical responsibilities altogether.
High-Stress, High-Stakes Work
Altman cautions that this will be a demanding role, with immediate responsibilities and considerable pressure. OpenAI's ongoing safety challenges are well-documented, with some former employees criticizing the company's focus on competitiveness over safety.
Will the Compensation Attract the Right Candidate?
Offering over half a million dollars, OpenAI hopes to attract top talent for a role vital to its long-term safety strategy. However, skepticism remains whether this will be sufficient to retain someone in such a stressful, high-stakes position. The company did not respond to inquiries about the role.
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