Paul Christiano Joins OpenAI Foundation Board and Safety and Security Committee

Paul Christiano was appointed to the OpenAI Foundation Board effective September 9, 2026. He serves as a non-voting observer on the OpenAI Group PBC Board and joins the Safety and Security Committee (SSC) under the Foundation Board, working alongside Chair Zico Kolter. The SSC is responsible for governance over safety and security practices across OpenAI.

Christiano's Expertise and Background

Christiano is the founder of the Alignment Research Center (ARC) and serves as a Senior Tech Advisor at the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) under NIST. He is an AI alignment researcher who led foundational work on Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) at OpenAI from 2017 to 2021. He also has experience conducting research on frontier AI model evaluation and risk mitigation from a national security perspective at US government agencies.

Strengthening Governance and Expected Impact

The OpenAI Foundation is a charitable organization ensuring that AI benefits all of humanity, holding control and a significant stake in OpenAI Group PBC. Board Chair Bret Taylor expressed hope that Christiano's joining would strengthen the Board's oversight capabilities, leveraging his expertise in defining AI alignment and safety standards within the government. Christiano has recently emphasized that the rapid advancement of AI capabilities makes alignment a persistently difficult technical challenge, underscoring the need for developers to prepare for catastrophic risk.