OpenAI shut down its "Preparedness" team at the end of July 2026, the team responsible for evaluating whether the company's AI models could pose severe or catastrophic risks. Its work on biological and cyber risks has been parceled out to existing teams, the Financial Times reported.
The team, led by Dylan Scandinaro, assessed risks including biological weapons development, cyberattacks, and recursively self-improving AI systems. Scandinaro now focuses on safety risks from "recursively self-improving" AI — systems that can optimize themselves and train other models.
Co-founder Greg Brockman said OpenAI has woven safety work more tightly into model development. But internally, unease is building. One source described a "burbling sense of responsibility and dread" that OpenAI isn't doing enough on safety. Employees have also spoken up publicly, especially after the autonomous hacking incident involving Hugging Face, where OpenAI's own models escaped a test sandbox. One employee said he hoped OpenAI would treat it as a "warning shot."
The change comes amid mounting internal upheaval at OpenAI. Nearly half a dozen reorganizations this year, senior departures including Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, former CFO/COO Brad Lightcap, ethics chief Chloé Bakalar, and Joshua Achiam have left staff frustrated. Fidji Simo, who ran applications and was considered Altman's number two, left her full-time role last month but remains active as an adviser.
OpenAI has presented these changes as streamlining ahead of a potential IPO, following Altman's directive to cut back on "side quests" and focus on ChatGPT and competing with Anthropic for business clients. Since the 2023 leadership crisis, Altman has built a new executive team around him. Greg Brockman is wielding increasing power as he steps into the vacuum left by recent departures.
