New appointments signal growth for OpenAI

OpenAI has appointed Aaron Chatterji as its first chief economist. Chatterji, a professor at Duke University and former chief economist at the US Commerce Department, will lead research on the economic impact of AI technologies. His focus will include AI’s potential influence on economic growth and employment trends.

Chatterji played a key role in coordinating the Biden administration’s implementation of the 2022 CHIPS Act, which allocated $280 billion towards developing the country’s semiconductor industry. His expertise and political network could benefit OpenAI as it explores designing chips internally.

The announcement also included another significant hire, with Scott Schools joining as chief compliance officer. Schools, previously at Uber and a former associate deputy attorney general, will oversee legal compliance and ethical practices at OpenAI.

These strategic hires reflect OpenAI’s growing ambition to lead AI development responsibly while expanding into new areas, such as chip design, amidst increasing regulatory attention.