Former UK chancellor George Osborne has joined OpenAI to lead the ChatGPT developer's relationships with governments worldwide. He will head a division known as OpenAI for Countries, focusing on national-level AI rollouts.
Osborne, a former Conservative politician, adds this role to a portfolio that includes chair of the British Museum, adviser to Coinbase, and podcast host with Ed Balls. He leaves his position as senior managing director at Evercore and will be based in London.
His hiring signals increased focus by US tech firms on boosting AI adoption by national governments. OpenAI already has a memorandum of understanding with the UK government and a deal with Estonia to provide ChatGPT access to students and teachers.
Osborne will be expected to create new nation-level AI infrastructure partnerships and expand existing ones in Argentina, Australia, Germany, and South Korea. He stated that OpenAI is "the most exciting and promising company in the world right now."
OpenAI faces controversies over chatbot impacts, including lawsuits from families of young people who died after interacting with ChatGPT. Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, said Osborne's appointment reflects a shared belief that AI is becoming critical infrastructure.
