Amid the exponential rise in AI capabilities and the growing security risks, OpenAI is stepping up with a high-level approach to fill a critical gap in its safety system. The company recently announced a senior position titled "Preparedness Lead" on its official website, offering a starting salary of $550,000 per year along with equity, and reporting to the Safety Systems department. This role will directly participate in the decision-making process for the release of cutting-edge AI models and has been personally referred to by CEO Sam Altman as a "key role during a critical period."

OpenAI, artificial intelligence, AI

 "Preparedness": Designed to Address AI "Black Swan" Events

"Preparedness" (preparedness/defense capability) is one of the core safety mechanisms that OpenAI has been building in recent years, aiming to systematically assess and defend against extreme risks that large models may cause, including but not limited to:

- Misuse of models for biological, cyber, or chemical attacks;

- Loss of control or strategic deception of autonomous agents;

- Social-level manipulation and large-scale generation of false information.

The person in this position will be responsible for developing technical strategies, designing stress testing frameworks, conducting red team exercises, and providing authoritative assessments on whether a model is ready for safe deployment, with the authority to veto decisions.

 Direct Oversight by Senior Leadership, Unprecedented Status

Notably, this position will report directly to senior leadership within OpenAI's Safety Systems and work closely with model development, product, and policy teams. Previously, this function was temporarily led by renowned AI safety expert Aleksander Madry (former MIT professor, now OpenAI VP), but there is currently no permanent supervisor, highlighting the importance of the role and the difficulty in finding the right candidate.

Sam Altman emphasized in an internal letter: "As we approach more powerful AI capabilities, ensuring that we are 'prepared' is more important than ever. This is not a support role, but a core position shaping the future direction of the company."

 Industry Signal: AI Security Moves from "Compliance" to "Strategic High Ground"

The salary of $550,000 starts far exceeds that of a typical security engineer, approaching the level of OpenAI research scientists and product executives. This reflects the industry's intense demand for "proactive defense" security talent—security is no longer just post-event review but a strategic capability integrated at the source of development.

At the same time, companies such as Anthropic and Google DeepMind have also established similar teams for "AI disaster prevention" or "extreme risk assessment," indicating that AI security is evolving from a technical branch into an independent strategic pillar.

 AIbase Observation: Whoever Controls the "AI Brake" Defines the Future of AI

As the competition in large models shifts from "who is faster" to "who is more stable," OpenAI's move sends a clear signal: the top AI companies must not only create super-intelligent systems but also manage them. The establishment of the Preparedness Lead role essentially installs an "emergency braking system" for the arrival of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).