OpenAI Shuts Down Mission Alignment Team Dedicated to Safe and Trustworthy AI

OpenAI has dissolved the internal team tasked with ensuring its artificial intelligence systems remain “safe, trustworthy, and consistently aligned with human values.” At the same time, the former leader of that group has taken on a new position within the company as its “chief futurist.”

OpenAI confirmed that members of the Mission Alignment team have been reassigned to other roles across the organisation. Platformer first reported the development.

The Mission Alignment team appears to have been created in September 2024 as a dedicated unit focused on alignment research. In the AI industry, alignment broadly refers to efforts to ensure that advanced systems operate in line with human goals and societal interests.

A post published on OpenAI’s Alignment Research blog outlines the team’s purpose: “We want these systems to consistently follow human intent in complex, real-world scenarios and adversarial conditions, avoid catastrophic behavior, and remain controllable, auditable, and aligned with human values.”

An earlier job listing for the Alignment team described its mission as conducting research to develop methods that enable AI systems to reliably follow human intent across a wide variety of situations, including adversarial ones or those involving high-stakes decision-making.

In a blog post published Wednesday, Josh Achiam, who previously headed the Mission Alignment team, explained his new responsibilities as chief futurist. “My goal is to support OpenAI’s mission — to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity — by studying how the world will change in response to AI, AGI, and beyond,” Achiam wrote.

He also noted that he will work alongside Jason Pruet, a physicist on OpenAI’s technical staff, in his new role.

According to an OpenAI spokesperson, the remaining six or seven members of the former Alignment team have been moved to other parts of the company. While the spokesperson did not specify which teams they joined, they indicated that the individuals are continuing their work in related areas. It is not yet clear whether Achiam will lead a new team in his role as a futurist.

The company described the decision to disband the Mission Alignment team as part of routine reorganisations in a fast-moving organisation.

OpenAI had previously established a “superalignment team” in 2023 to research long-term existential risks associated with advanced AI systems. That group was also dissolved in 2024.

As of now, Achiam’s personal website still lists him as Head of Mission Alignment at OpenAI and states that he is interested in helping secure a positive long-term future for humanity. His LinkedIn profile similarly shows that he began serving as Head of Mission Alignment in September 2024.