OpenAI hires 2 executives in new leadership positions

• OpenAI has added two new executives to its leadership team.
• The company hired a chief compliance officer and chief economist.
• The move comes amid an exodus of top talent at OpenAI in recent months.

OpenAI has hired two executives to start filling out its C-Suite following an exodus of top talent in recent months, the company announced Tuesday.

Former Uber executive Scott Schools will serve as OpenAI’s first chief compliance officer in a hiring move that signals the company’s awareness of increased regulatory scrutiny over AI.

Schools previously served as chief ethics and compliance officer at the ride-hailing company, which had its own spate of regulatory conflicts with lawmakers. Before that, he was associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice.

The move comes as lawmakers increasingly consider regulatory legislation as AI models become more ubiquitous and accessible.

OpenAI also hired Aaron Chatterji, a former Biden administration official and business professor, as its chief economist. Chatterji will spearhead research into AI’s impact on the economy and job creation, the company said.

“Our hope is that this work will inform efforts by policymakers, academics, and organizations around the world to maximize the benefits of AI as an economic driver in their communities, while helping them identify and prepare for challenges that come with the adoption of this powerful new technology,” the company said in a statement.

The mini-hiring spree comes nearly a year after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was briefly ousted. Since then, the company has seen a wave of top talent leave, most recently Mira Murati, former chief technology officer and one-time interim CEO.

That position remains unfilled, though Altman announced earlier this month that he plans to take on more responsibility as the company heads toward a possible for-profit future.

Altman recently secured a whopping $157 billion valuation for the startup following a $6.6 billion funding round.