Because of its broader benefits, openAI CEO Sam Altman recently argued that society may need to accept some negative consequences of artificial intelligence. Now a new report by Fortune has revealed that the ChatGPT-maker is introducing a new interview process which is aimed at accessing how prospective employees would help ensure AI benefits humanity. The contrasting developments highlight how the ChatGPT maker is simultaneously advocating for wider acceptance of AI-related risks while strengthening its focus on mission-driven hiring as the technology becomes increasingly powerful.
OpenAI has begun piloting what it calls a “mission interview” for candidates applying to certain teams, starting with marketing and human resources, according to Fortune. The goal, OpenAI told Fortune, is to give candidates dedicated space to explain how they’ll contribute to the company’s mission — ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Anthropic interviewers test candidates with a blunt question aimed at determining whether they’re joining the company for its mission or simply for the money — a particularly pointed question given how lucrative positions at leading AI labs have become, according to Axios.
Rival AI lab Anthropic reportedly takes a more direct approach.
That tension between mission and compensation is hard to ignore at companies like OpenAI, where many roles currently offer salaries exceeding $300,000, often with substantially more once stock compensation is factored in. One software engineer with six years of experience reportedly received a total compensation offer from OpenAI worth $935,000, including a $385,000 base salary and $2.2 million in restricted stock units vesting over four years, according to posts on the anonymous professional network Blind. A separate Blind post claimed Anthropic had offered another candidate $620,000 in total compensation.