Ex-OpenAI safety researchers slam Paul joining board: "Altman is accountable to nobody"
RichardMCNgo · x · 2026-09-11
Former OpenAI safety researcher Richard Ngo says he is "sad and disappointed" that Paul is joining the OpenAI board. Ngo argues that affiliation with OpenAI has historically led AI safety researchers (including himself and Paul) to act with less integrity: while at OpenAI, many of his actions were governed by fear of crossing executives, and he often made excuses for behavior contradicting OpenAI's stated goal of making AGI go well. He notes that when the board tried to fire Sam Altman over deceptive behavior, several senior safety researchers became too scared to act.
Quoting him, Blanche Minerva adds that the OpenAI board is "an obvious sham with no real power" — Sam Altman runs OpenAI and is accountable to nobody.
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