Wojciech Zaremba

OpenAI Foundation is an improbable organization – not just because of the resources behind it, but because of the uniquely consequential moment humanity now finds itself in. Humanity is entering a technological transformation on the scale of civilization. AI is likely to reshape nearly every part of society. It feels uncomfortably grandiose to write the above, but building the OpenAI Foundation requires taking that seriously. Our core operating model is to empower an ecosystem of organizations to create broad public benefit. We’ve already deployed hundreds of millions of dollars in our first five months, and our planned spending is in the billions. Through our Life Sciences & Curing Diseases and AI for Civil Society and Philanthropy work, we fund organizations that apply AI to important problems in the world, from the Institute for Protein Design, developing new medicines, to the Health Coalition, working to transform delivery of public health in the US with AI. We also fund efforts to reduce the risks that could prevent society from realizing AI’s benefits (we call it AI resilience). That landscape is broad: biological and cyber threats enabled by misuse, misaligned AI systems, the effects of AI on youth, and its impact on the economy. e.g. in case of bio risks, that would be supporting orgs like Blueprint Biosecurity working on pathogen-agnostic defense against airborne threats. The Foundation will also be built differently, with AI deeply integrated into how we operate, make decisions, and get work done. We are still at an embryonic stage. Our team has fewer than 20 people. Much of what the Foundation will become is dependent on the early decisions that we are making today. That is what makes joining now unusual. Our earliest hires will shape not only what we do, but how we work, what we value, what we are willing to attempt, and ultimately what kind of institution the Foundation becomes. If you are AGI-pilled, extremely agentic, and willing to do whatever it takes to build something that matters, come build it with us.

I’m incredibly excited that Dan Wattendorf is joining OpenAI Foundation as our Head of Bio-Resilience. As AI capabilities advance, biology could become one of the most consequential areas - for both extraordinary benefits and serious risks. We need to build the institutions and technologies that will help the world prepare. Dan has a rare combination of scientific judgment and the ability to make ambitious things happen. He helped pioneer DARPA’s early mRNA technology, served as a US Air Force colonel, and led the Gates Foundation’s Global Health Accelerator. There is an enormous amount to build, and I’m very glad Dan will be leading the charge.

The OpenAI Foundation is still early. The highest-leverage thing we can do now is build an organization capable of turning its mission into action. We’re hiring a Head of Talent to help us find the exceptional people who will build it with us. openaifoundation.org/so-DJ/careers/…

I’m proud OpenAI Foundation is backing Intercept because it focuses on many pathogen-agnostic countermeasures: defenses that can work across many respiratory threats, not just the one we saw last. Broad-spectrum preventatives, clean air, and far-UVC are core to bio-resilience. x.com/FoundationOAI/…

Building AI resilience is among the most important work of our generation. We have a lot to do to get it right. At the OpenAI Foundation, this is where we’re starting: x.com/FoundationOAI/…

Can’t we do better? A compelling short video from @fiftyyears that gave me goosebumps about what it means to create value in the world.

Vídeo

AI will transform the economy and jobs, creating opportunities while also bringing new challenges. At OpenAI Foundation, we are launching a program to better understand shifts, support the transition, and build long-term economic security. Starting with $250M dedicated

OpenAI Foundation is taking an end-to-end approach to tackling Alzheimer's with AI. We're supporting the full spectrum of work — from early diagnosis and better understanding of the disease, to accelerating new drug discovery. This month, we're finalizing over $100M in grants

Life update — I’m moving to the OpenAI Foundation to lead AI resilience. AGI will bring tremendous benefits and potential disruptions, such as impacts on children and youth, model malfunctions, emergent bio-risks, and more. AI resilience is about minimizing these disruptions so

AI won’t just change childhood. It may shape how children develop — how they learn, regulate emotions, tolerate frustration, and form relationships. My wife wrote an essay about it: open.substack.com/pub/mindsinfor…

Looking for ambitious, concrete projects to prepare the world for advanced AI. 🧠 🚀 x.com/taoburr/status…

50 Years is a deep-tech VC firm investing in AI safety. They’re organizing a fun, intimate mini-conference designed to align participants across multiple dimensions. I’ll be speaking there. luma.com/5k0e0qtp

Transluce is one of the strongest external AI safety orgs — on par with METR and Apollo. They are raising now. x.com/TransluceAI/st…