George Osborne Appointed to OpenAI Role

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is making a move into the tech world, joining OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence research company. Osborne will be heading up their "OpenAI for Countries" program, an initiative designed to assist governments in expanding their capabilities in the field of AI.

Osborne announced his new role, which will be based in London, expressing his enthusiasm for joining the company. In a post on X, he stated that he considers OpenAI to be the most exciting and promising company in the world right now.

The announcement comes after reports of stalled negotiations between the UK and US governments regarding a technology agreement that included increased collaboration on AI.

Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, commented that Osborne's decision to join reflects a shared understanding of AI's growing importance. Lehane emphasized that the early decisions made concerning the development, governance, and deployment of AI will significantly impact both economics and geopolitics for years to come. He also noted on LinkedIn that the "OpenAI for Countries" program has already engaged with over 50 nations, aiming to ensure that global AI systems are built upon democratic principles.

Lehane further explained that Osborne will be collaborating with governments to foster AI infrastructure development, promote AI literacy, and leverage AI to enhance public services. He added that Osborne's role will involve expanding existing partnerships and forging new ones.

Osborne mentioned that he made the decision to join OpenAI after discussions with CEO Sam Altman and COO Brad Lightcap, praising them as exceptionally impressive leaders who are deeply committed to the responsible development of artificial intelligence and ensuring its benefits are widely shared. He believes the "OpenAI for Countries" initiative is precisely aimed at helping societies worldwide benefit from this technology.

Osborne also noted that accepting the OpenAI position meant leaving his role at the investment bank Evercore, a decision he described as difficult. Previously, he served as editor of the Evening Standard newspaper from 2017 to 2020. The Financial Times was the first to report on Osborne's new appointment.