Former chancellor George Osborne joins OpenAI
Former chancellor George Osborne is joining artificial intelligence (AI) giant OpenAI.
He will lead the “OpenAI for Countries” programme, which aims to help governments increase their artificial intelligence capacity.
Announcing his new position based in London, Osborne said that it was a privilege to join the company.
“I recently asked myself this question: What is the most exciting and promising company in the world right now? I believe the answer is OpenAI,” he said on X.
The announcement follows news of government-level talks between the UK and the US over a technology deal involving greater cooperation in artificial intelligence They floundered.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s chief of global affairs, said Osborne’s decision to join the company reflected “the shared belief that AI is becoming critical infrastructure and that early decisions about how it is built, managed and deployed will shape economics and geopolitics for years to come.”
OpenAI for Countries is designed to work with governments “to ensure global AI systems are built on democratic values,” Mr. Lehane wrote on LinkedIn. So far the program has interacted with more than 50 countries.
He said Osborne would work with governments to help develop AI infrastructure, improve AI literacy and use AI to improve public services.
“In his new role, George will help expand existing partnerships and establish new ones,” Mr. Lehane added.
Osborne, who co-hosts a podcast and is also president of the British Museum, said he joined the firm after meetings with OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman and COO Brad Lightcap.
He said the pair “are extraordinarily impressive leaders and care deeply about their mission to ensure that the power of AI is developed responsibly and its benefits are felt by everyone.”
“This is exactly what the OpenAI for Countries initiative aims to achieve – helping communities around the world share the opportunities brought by this powerful technology,” Osborne added.
Osborne said he was leaving his current role at investment bank Evercore, which he said was a “big switch”.
He was also editor of the Evening Standard newspaper from 2017 to 2020.
Osborne’s new job was first reported by the Financial Times.
The announcement came as Downing Street insisted it remained in active talks with the US government over a major technology deal.
The deal, announced in September, included £31bn of planned spending by tech giants including Nvidia and Google.
However, reports emerged that “wider disagreements” between the US and the UK had stalled the negotiations.
Osborne’s appointment also comes at a time when artificial intelligence investments are booming and Growing unease of a potential AI market bubble.
Earlier this month the Bank of England warned of a potential “sharp correction” Growth in the AI sector, which has added to the value of major tech companies, will be fueled by trillions of dollars of debt over the next five years.
