Sam Altman has flagged mental health risks tied to advanced AI and announced OpenAI’s plan to hire a Head of Preparedness. The role will oversee risk evaluation, cybersecurity, and misuse prevention under a $555,000 package. The move signals OpenAI’s push for proactive governance as AI systems grow more powerful.
OpenAI is sharpening its focus on the risks posed by frontier artificial intelligence systems, with CEO Sam Altman highlighting concerns around mental health impacts, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and misuse of powerful models. In a recent post, Altman revealed that the company is creating a senior leadership role—Head of Preparedness—to strengthen oversight and safeguard against emerging threats.
Key Highlights
Mental Health Concerns: Altman acknowledged that AI’s potential impact on mental health became evident in 2025, with reports of misuse and lawsuits alleging harmful effects. He stressed the need for a nuanced understanding of how advanced models interact with human psychology.
New Role Creation: OpenAI is hiring a Head of Preparedness, offering a salary of $555,000 plus equity, to lead evaluations, threat modeling, and risk mitigation strategies. The role will be part of OpenAI’s Safety Systems team in San Francisco.
Preparedness Framework: The position will oversee OpenAI’s Preparedness framework, which tracks frontier AI capabilities and anticipates risks of severe harm. This includes cybersecurity threats, misinformation misuse, and psychological impacts.
Industry Context: The move comes amid growing scrutiny of AI companies, with regulators and experts urging stronger safeguards against unintended consequences. Altman emphasized that preparedness is now a critical function as AI systems scale in capability and real-world influence.
Proactive Risk Management: By institutionalizing preparedness, OpenAI aims to set industry standards for responsible AI deployment, ensuring that innovation does not outpace safety.
Context and Impact
The announcement reflects OpenAI’s recognition that AI risks are not limited to technical failures but extend to social and psychological domains. Altman’s remarks underscore the urgency of building resilience into AI systems, especially as they become more integrated into daily life.
For the industry, the creation of a Head of Preparedness signals a shift toward proactive governance, where companies anticipate harms rather than react to crises. Analysts believe this could influence other AI firms to adopt similar roles, embedding risk management as a core pillar of AI development.
Sources:\ Livemint, Moneycontrol, Yahoo News, Blockchain.News
