OpenAI has announced the appointment of former NSA Director and retired US Army General Paul M. Nakasone to its board of directors. He is a leading expert in cybersecurity. This appointment reflects OpenAI’s seriousness about the security of users and platforms as the impact of AI continues to grow.

Nakasone will first join the board’s Safety and Security Committee, which is responsible for making recommendations to the full board on critical safety and security decisions for all OpenAI projects and operations, the company said.

General Nakasone shared his perspective on joining the board, saying, “OpenAI’s dedication to its mission is closely aligned with my own values ​​and experience in public service. I look forward to contributing to OpenAI’s efforts to ensure that artificial general intelligence is safe and beneficial to people around the world.”

The integration of AI has undoubtedly brought about a huge change, but this change is vulnerable to many security threats. As Bret Taylor, Chairman of the Board of OpenAI, the company that hired Nakasone, says, “Artificial intelligence has the potential to have a huge positive impact on people’s lives, but this is only possible if these innovations are built and deployed securely.”

“General Nakasone’s unique experience in areas such as cybersecurity will help OpenAI achieve its mission of benefiting all humanity through artificial general intelligence,” he said.

While this has been an impressive move, critics have differing opinions. Several former high-ranking employees of OpenAI have criticized the company for prioritizing speed over security, including John Leakey, who helped lead the company’s long-term security work, called “super alignment,” as noted in the report. Axios,

With this move, OpenAI is trying to convince consumers that it is taking enough steps to make the platform a safe place. With expertise in cybersecurity, Nakasone is expected to shed light on how OpenAI is moving ahead with AI development and security.

The appointment comes after CEO Sam Altman rejoins the company in March 2024. Previously, Altman was fired for not being consistently clear in his communications with the board. But earlier this year, the board stepped down and Altman was back at the helm.

The company has also recently announced its collaboration with Apple. The new iOS 18 will be deeply integrated with AI technology and ChatGPT is a part of it. At WWDC 2024, Apple revealed that the revamped Siri will be powered by ChatGPT.