Former National Security Agency Head Joins OpenAI Board Arousing Concerns

Alarm bells are ringing after OpenAI's latest addition to its board of directors.

Paul Miki Nakasone, the former head of the National Security Agency and commander of the US Cyber ​​Command, was recently added to the board and is expected to play a critical role in the decisions going forward.

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Former whistleblower Edward Snowden was quick to speak out, citing concerns about the direction of artificial intelligence. He said in a post on X. “The intersection of AI with the ocean of mass surveillance data that has been accumulating over the past two decades will put truly terrible powers in the hands of an inexplicable few.”

The intersection of AI with the ocean of mass surveillance data that has been accumulating over the past two decades will put truly terrible powers in the hands of an inexplicable few. https://t.co/4qHl9LDS0N

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) June 15, 2024

Nakasone will also reportedly serve as the tech company's head of safety and security, prompting another level of scrutiny over the hiring.

🚨 WHO IS THE NSA GUY OPENAI JUST PUT ON HIS PISCOLA?

… HE BUILT AMERICA'S “CYBER ARMY”.

OpenAI has appointed General Paul M. Nakasone, former head of the NSA and US Cyber ​​Command, to its board of directors.

Nakasone is famous for “speaking softly while commanding a… https://t.co/DB4qINfdVZ pic.twitter.com/20vFZDc4BW

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 15, 2024

According to industry expert Matthew Green, the biggest use of artificial intelligence is related to surveillance. That comment certainly won't quell new concerns surrounding Nakasone's hiring.

OpenAI has not responded to concerns about the hiring, instead highlighting Nakasone's addition as a development benefit for the company.

With trust perpetually deteriorating between American citizens and the US government, moves like this only add fuel to the fire in a contentious debate about what freedoms really remain and what organizations are doing with the sea of ​​data that is they collect every second.

On a broader level, the debate over the development of artificial intelligence is also going nowhere, and despite major icons of the tech industry calling for a pause, AI appears to be accelerating at a frighteningly fast pace.