Johannes Heidecke, OpenAI's head of safety, will leave as part of a company restructuring. Saachi Jain will step in as interim head of safety, with safety teams now reporting to Mia Glaese, the new vice president of research and safety.
OpenAI is undergoing significant changes in its safety and research teams, leading to the departure of its head of safety systems, Johannes Heidecke. This shift aims to better integrate safety considerations with ongoing research efforts.
Saachi Jain, who has prior experience leading OpenAI's safety teams, will act as the interim head of safety systems. Meanwhile, Mia Glaese has been named the new vice president of research and safety, overseeing the restructuring.
Mark Chen, OpenAI's chief research officer, emphasized the need for safety work to be integral to frontier-model development.
These changes come shortly after the release of OpenAI's latest model, GPT-5.6, which gained approval from the US government. This timing indicates a potential shift in focus towards better alignment of safety protocols and product development.
Despite the leadership changes, OpenAI retains a Head of Preparedness, hired to address severe risks proactively, as stated by CEO Sam Altman. This role highlights the company's commitment to safety amidst evolving product offerings.
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Johannes Heidecke, OpenAI's head of safety, will leave as part of a company restructuring. Saachi Jain will step in as interim head of safety, with safety teams now reporting to Mia Glaese, the new vice president of research and safety.