On September 9, 2026, OpenAI announced Paul Christiano’s appointment to the OpenAI Foundation Board. He will also serve as a non-voting observer on the OpenAI Group PBC Board.
Christiano will join the Foundation Board’s Safety and Security Committee (SSC), alongside committee chair Zico Kolter. The committee oversees safety and security practices throughout OpenAI, including OpenAI Group PBC.
Experience in government and alignment research
Christiano’s government work spans two administrations. He is a Senior Technical Advisor at the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. At CAISI and its predecessor, the U.S. AI Safety Institute, he has worked on frontier-model evaluations, including capabilities relevant to national security, and ways to reduce associated safety and security risks.
He also founded the Alignment Research Center (ARC), a nonprofit studying how to align advanced AI systems with human interests. From 2017 to 2021, he led alignment research at OpenAI and contributed foundational research on reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). OpenAI presented his appointment as adding technical expertise to governance in support of its mission that artificial general intelligence benefit humanity.
Bret Taylor, chair of both the OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group PBC Boards, said Christiano’s alignment research, government experience in frontier AI safety and standards, and technical judgment would reinforce board oversight and the SSC’s work.
Christiano said rapid progress in AI capabilities over the preceding year, combined with the continuing difficulty of alignment, had made the committee’s responsibilities more consequential and demanding. He expressed enthusiasm about contributing.
Safety oversight and governance
OpenAI emphasized the need for safety, security, alignment and governance to keep pace with increasingly capable AI. It described Christiano as a researcher who takes potential catastrophic risks seriously and argues for preparation before systems acquire more dangerous capabilities. The announcement also highlighted his independent scrutiny of industry safeguards and the value of board members who challenge assumptions and demand stronger evidence, protections and accountability.
The appointment follows the governance structure established through OpenAI’s October 2025 recapitalization. That framework included commitments associated with year-long reviews by the California Attorney General and Delaware Attorney General, whose engagement OpenAI said helped strengthen its governance.
The Foundation’s role
The OpenAI Foundation is a separate charitable nonprofit that runs its own programs while controlling OpenAI Group PBC and holding a significant equity stake in it. Its activities support scientific discovery, civil society and resilience through responsible AI. Grants, partnerships and other philanthropic efforts aim to create sustained public benefits and broaden access to AI’s potential. The SSC sits within the Foundation Board.
In his government role as Senior Technical Advisor, Christiano will recuse himself from every OpenAI-related matter and from all model evaluations.
Related updates
A related company update dated September 8, 2026, is titled The Work Now Within Reach.
Another company update, dated September 8, 2026, covers support for journalism in classrooms and newsrooms.
A company update dated August 31, 2026, addresses OpenAI’s support for California legislation advancing youth AI safety.