OpenAI appoints Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone to Board of Directors

Today, Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone has joined our Board of Directors. A leading expert in cybersecurity, Nakasone’s appointment reflects OpenAI’s commitment to safety and security, and underscores the growing significance of cybersecurity as the impact of AI technology continues to grow.

As a first priority, Nakasone will 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 security of OpenAI’s systems—from protecting the large AI training supercomputers we operate to securing our sensitive model weights and the data entrusted to us by customers—is central to achieving our mission. As AI technology becomes more capable on the path to artificial general intelligence (AGI), we are becoming more resilient to increasingly sophisticated cyber security threats over time.

Nakasone’s insights will also contribute to OpenAI’s efforts to better understand how AI can be used to strengthen cybersecurity by quickly detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats. We believe AI has the potential to deliver significant benefits in this area for many institutions frequently targeted by cyber attacks like hospitals, schools, and financial institutions.

“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to have huge positive impacts on people’s lives, but it can only meet this potential if these innovations are securely built and deployed,“ said Bret Taylor, Chair of OpenAI’s Board. “General Nakasone’s unparalleled experience in areas like cybersecurity will help guide OpenAI in achieving its mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.” 

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

Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone is a leading expert in cybersecurity, technology advancement, and global cyber defense. In his career as an Army officer, he was pivotal in the creation of U.S. Cyber Command.  He was the longest-serving leader of USCYBERCOM and also led the National Security Agency, where he was charged with safeguarding the United States' digital infrastructure and advancing the country's cyberdefense capabilities. He has served in command and staff positions across all levels of the United States Army with assignments with elite cyber units in the United States, the Republic of Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.