OpenAI Seeks Head of Preparedness to Mitigate Catastrophic Risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on December 27–28, 2025, the opening of a strategically critical vacancy—Head of Preparedness. This position involves leading a team responsible for forecasting, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with advanced "frontier" AI models. The primary focus will be on preventing catastrophic scenarios, including cybersecurity threats, biological risks, and autonomous AI self-replication capabilities.

The public announcement of a search for a specialist of this caliber signals the company's shift toward a more formal and rigorous safety approach ahead of launching next-generation models (presumably GPT-6). The job description emphasizes that the candidate must possess not only technical expertise but also strategic vision to coordinate with government entities. Analysts view this move as a response to growing regulatory pressure and an attempt by OpenAI to set a gold standard for corporate responsibility in the industry.

Source: OpenAI Careers