OpenAI Creates Safety Committee and Begins Training New AI Model
OpenAI announced on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) the formation of a Safety and Security Committee, aimed at evaluating and recommending improvements to the company's safety processes. The announcement comes amid growing public scrutiny over the potential risks of advanced artificial intelligence.
Chaired by Bret Taylor, chairman of OpenAI's board, the committee will include directors such as Adam D’Angelo, Nicole Seligman, and CEO Sam Altman. This initiative follows the dissolution of OpenAI's superalignment team and the departure of safety leaders like Jan Leike and Ilya Sutskever in 2024.
In addition to forming the committee, OpenAI has begun training its next artificial intelligence model, which will succeed GPT-4. The company stated that the new model is expected to drive AI capabilities forward but also acknowledged the need to ensure these advances are made safely. "We believe that robust public debate is important on these topics," OpenAI said in a statement.
The news comes amidst a global debate on AI regulation. Recently, lawmakers and researchers have expressed concerns about existential and ethical risks associated with developing increasingly powerful AI systems. OpenAI had previously committed to dedicating 20% of its computing resources to safety initiatives, but internal changes raised doubts about its actual commitment to safety.
The safety committee will conduct a 90-day review of OpenAI's processes and safeguards, after which it will present recommendations to the board. Following the review, OpenAI will make the adopted recommendations public.
OpenAI's announcement is not the only recent move in the industry. Other tech companies have also intensified their safety efforts. For instance, Microsoft launched an initiative to create AI safety tools, and Google announced a partnership with research organizations to develop safety standards.
The formation of the committee and the start of training for the new model signal that OpenAI is attempting to balance innovation with the responsibility of ensuring AI is developed safely and beneficially for humanity. However, critics argue that the company needs to do more to restore trust, especially after the changes in the safety team.
We will closely follow the developments of this process and the recommendations emerging from the safety committee in the coming months.