New Delhi, Dec. 29 -- As artificial intelligence systems grow more capable, the conversation around AI safety is shifting from abstract ethics to operational reality. OpenAI is now signalling that shift clearly by opening one of its most consequential senior roles yet.

The company is hiring a Head of Preparedness, a leadership position tasked with identifying, evaluating, and mitigating risks emerging from its most advanced AI models. The role comes with an annual compensation of up to $555,000 plus equity, underlining how central safety has become to the next phase of AI deployment.

The position will sit within OpenAI's Safety Systems team, which oversees how frontier models are tested before public release. Based in San Francisco, the...