OpenAI has hired former 'Gravel Teens' Henry Williams and David Oks for its Strategic Futures team, aiming to shape the political future of AI. Their hiring underscores OpenAI's push to diversify its team with non-technical experts.
TL;DR
- OpenAI hires Gravel Teens for its Strategic Futures team to prepare the world for transformative AI.
- The duo, known for their leftist political activism, will work under Dean W. Ball, a former AI policy adviser to President Donald Trump.
- Their hiring reflects OpenAI's strategy to bring in diverse perspectives, including writers, philosophers, and ethicists, to navigate the political economy of AI.
What happened
Henry Williams and David Oks, formerly known as the 'Gravel Teens,' have joined OpenAI's Strategic Futures team. They will work under Dean W. Ball, a former AI policy adviser to President Donald Trump and a veteran of the right-wing think-tank world. Ball described the team's focus as thinking about the long-range political economy and political theory outcomes from technologies like super intelligence and highly capable AI systems.
Williams and Oks gained fame in 2019 for running an outsider, leftist presidential campaign for Mike Gravel, a long-retired Alaska senator. Their campaign became an internet phenomenon, channeling youthful anti-establishment messages through Gravel's persona. After the campaign, they founded the Gravel Institute, a nonprofit aimed at countering conservative educational sites, but it was short-lived.
Why it matters
The hiring of Williams and Oks highlights OpenAI's strategy to bring in diverse perspectives to navigate the political economy of AI. Ball emphasized that he hires smart people regardless of their politics, focusing on their analytical acumen and dedication. This move is part of a broader trend where AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are hiring writers, philosophers, ethicists, and physicists at the same pace they're ingesting rare books.
The duo's background in progressive activism and their shift to working with a Silicon Valley behemoth like OpenAI raises questions about their motivations and the potential impact on AI's political future. Their hiring could signal OpenAI's attempt to project a more optimistic vision of AI's future that transcends political affiliations, according to Ball.
Key facts
- Henry Williams and David Oks, known as the 'Gravel Teens,' have joined OpenAI's Strategic Futures team.
- They will work under Dean W. Ball, a former AI policy adviser to President Donald Trump.
- Ball described the Strategic Futures team as focusing on the long-range political economy and political theory outcomes from technologies like super intelligence and highly capable AI systems.
- The Gravel Teens gained fame in 2019 for running an outsider, leftist presidential campaign for Mike Gravel.
- After the campaign, they founded the Gravel Institute, a nonprofit aimed at countering conservative educational sites, but it was short-lived.
- OpenAI's hiring of Williams and Oks reflects a broader trend of AI companies bringing in diverse perspectives, including writers, philosophers, and ethicists.
- Ball emphasized that he hires smart people regardless of their politics, focusing on their analytical acumen and dedication.
- The hiring could signal OpenAI's attempt to project a more optimistic vision of AI's future that transcends political affiliations.
Context
This hiring comes at a time when AI companies are increasingly focusing on the political and economic implications of their technologies. OpenAI's billionaire co-founder, Sam Altman, has previously predicted that AI technology will significantly impact certain types of jobs. However, both Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have recently offered more measured rhetoric about the impact that AI will have on the labor force, focusing on rehabilitating AI's image into something that exists in harmony with humanity.
The hiring of Williams and Oks also reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are bringing in experts from diverse backgrounds to navigate the complex political and economic landscape of AI. This move could have significant implications for the future of AI, as it will shape how the technology is perceived and regulated.
