OpenAI has dissolved a specialized team responsible for conveying the company's mission both externally and internally. Concurrently, the former leader of this team has transitioned into a new position as the organization's "chief futurist."

The team in question seems to have been established in September 2024, with a focus on advancing "the company's stated mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity."

An OpenAI spokesperson characterized the team by stating: “The Mission Alignment project was a support function to help employees and the public understand our mission and the impact of AI. That work continues throughout the organization.”

In a blog post published Wednesday, Josh Achiam, the previous head of OpenAI's mission alignment team, detailed his new role as chief futurist. “My goal is to support OpenAI's mission - to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity - by studying how the world will change in response to AI, AGI, and beyond,” Achiam wrote. He added that in this capacity, he will be working alongside Jason Pruet, a physicist at OpenAI.

According to the spokesperson, the remaining members of the mission alignment team—a group of six or seven individuals—have been reassigned to various departments within the company. While the exact placements were not specified, the spokesperson indicated that these employees are continuing with comparable responsibilities in their new roles. It remains uncertain whether Achiam will lead a new team as part of his futurist duties.

The spokesperson explained that the team's dissolution is part of the regular structural adjustments typical in a rapidly evolving company. Previously, OpenAI maintained a "superalignment team" formed in 2023 to examine long-term existential risks associated with AI, but that team was also disbanded in 2024.

Achiam's personal website currently identifies him as the head of mission alignment at OpenAI and notes his dedication to ensuring that the "long-term future of humanity is good." His LinkedIn profile shows he held the role of head of mission alignment starting in September 2024.

Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly conflated the mission alignment team with another similarly named alignment team. The article has been updated to correct this error.