OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team

The Verge News

Summary

OpenAI has reportedly disbanded its preparedness team responsible for assessing AI model risks, with responsibilities moved to existing teams, amid ongoing changes and safety concerns at the company.

<figure> <img alt="Maroon OpenAI logo on yellow background" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/STK149_AI_01.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/53082739-7714-4aae-9816-e55ab423cbee"><em>Financial Times</em></a>, OpenAI disbanded its preparedness team at the end of last month. The job of the preparedness team was to assess if models posed serious risks and develop ways to mitigate those risks. (You know, like the possibility that it could <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/968988/openai-hugging-face-hack-ai">go rogue</a> and hack another company.) According to <em>FT</em>, responsibility has instead been divided up for specific areas like bio and cyber, then moved into existing teams.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">This is the latest change at the company, which has been in upheaval as it heads towards what is expected to be a massive IPO. Over the last few years, it's slowly torn down its more reach-led model, dissolving its AG …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/980817/openai-disbands-preparedness-team">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
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# OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team Source: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/980817/openai-disbands-preparedness-team](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/980817/openai-disbands-preparedness-team) [![Terrence O'Brien](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/TERRENCE_BLURPLE.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&w=96)](https://www.theverge.com/authors/terrence-obrien) Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor\. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths\. According to the[*Financial Times*](https://www.ft.com/content/53082739-7714-4aae-9816-e55ab423cbee), OpenAI disbanded its preparedness team at the end of last month\. The job of the preparedness team was to assess if models posed serious risks and develop ways to mitigate those risks\. \(You know, like the possibility that it could[go rogue](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/968988/openai-hugging-face-hack-ai)and hack another company\.\) According to*FT*, responsibility has instead been divided up for specific areas like bio and cyber, then moved into existing teams\. This is the latest change at the company, which has been in upheaval as it heads towards what is expected to be a massive IPO\. Over the last few years, it’s slowly torn down its more reach\-led model, dissolving its AGI readiness and superalignment teams\. Ethics lead Chloé Bakalar, Chief Futurist Josh Achiam, and head of safety Johannes Heidecke have all also left recently, leading some critics like Jan Leike, who resigned from OpenAI in 2024, to tell*FT*that the company was ignoring safety in favor of creating “shiny products\.” The head of the preparedness team, Dylan Scandinaro, who was[poached from Anthropic in February](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/873420/openai-poached-its-new-safety-executive-from-anthropic), will now focus on the implications of “recursive self\-improving” AI\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Terrence O'Brien

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