Tech media outlet maginative published a blog post the day before yesterday (October 23) thatreports that Miles Brundage has announced that he will be leaving this week from OpenAI companyquit a job, to pursue independent AI policy research.
Brundage is an AGI Readiness at OpenAI. Senior AdvisorHe has been with OpenAI for 6 years, during which time he has shaped many of OpenAI's key deployment and security practices.
In his statement, Brundage said he wanted to step outside the industry to influence and advance AI from outside the industry. He cited the main reasons for his departure as the increasing restrictions on research releases and a desire to be an independent voice in AI policy discussions.
During his tenure, Brundage led several important projects, including the company's external red team (cybersecurity testing that simulates real attacks) program and the first system cards that detailed the capabilities and limitations of AI models.
Looking ahead, Brundage plans to establish a non-profit organization focused on AI policy research and advocacy. His research interests include AI progress assessment, safety regulation, and economic impact, particularly what he calls the "AI grand strategy," which aims to develop a framework for ensuring that AI benefits humanity broadly.
Brundage's departure comes amidst a larger shakeup in OpenAI's leadership. Since the end of September, a number of executives have resigned, including CTO Mira Mulati and CRO Bob McGrew, while the company's president, Greg Brockman, is currently on vacation.
Despite his departure, Brundage remains optimistic about OpenAI's mission and believes that some policy work might be more effective outside the industry.
OpenAI has not yet announced a successor to Brundage's duties, and the company's economic research team will be led by new chief economist Ronnie Chatterji, with other projects assigned to different teams.