OpenAI employees donate over $215,000 to rival super PAC pushing AI regulation
8 reported
According to a WIRED report, seven current and one former OpenAI employee have donated more than $215,000 to Guardrails Alliance, a super PAC that launched last month with $5 million in initial funding. The group aims to push for stricter regulations on frontier AI labs and serve as a counterweight to Leading the Future, a pro-AI industry super PAC backed with over $100 million from technology leaders including OpenAI president Greg Brockman. The largest donation from an OpenAI employee came from research engineer Juan Felipe Cerón Uribe, who gave $200,000. Guardrails Alliance, cofounded by longtime Democratic political organizer Shaunna Thomas, has a goal to raise $15 million this election cycle. The donations highlight growing tensions inside OpenAI over the company’s efforts to shape AI policy, as some workers use their own money to directly counter Leading the Future. Leading the Future spokesperson Jesse Hunt denied that the super PAC has tried to stifle public debate about AI and noted it has previously advocated for federal regulations on the technology.
What’s reported
Seven current and one former OpenAI employee have donated more than $215,000 to Guardrails Alliance.
Guardrails Alliance launched last month with $5 million in total initial funding.
The super PAC aims to be a counterweight to Leading the Future, which has over $100 million from tech leaders including OpenAI president Greg Brockman.
Juan Felipe Cerón Uribe, an OpenAI research engineer since 2022, donated $200,000.
Guardrails Alliance’s goal is to raise $15 million this election cycle.
Greg Brockman and his wife Anna have committed $50 million to Leading the Future.
OpenAI spokesperson pointed to a June blog post stating Brockman’s engagement with Leading the Future was personal, not on behalf of the company.
Leading the Future spokesperson Jesse Hunt denied the PAC has tried to stifle public debate about AI.
Key figures
Juan Felipe Cerón Uribe, OpenAI research engineer
Shaunna Thomas, cofounder of Guardrails Alliance
Greg Brockman, OpenAI president and cofounder
Gabriel Wu, OpenAI safety researcher
Julie Steele, OpenAI staffer
Jason Wolfe, OpenAI staffer
David Farhi, former OpenAI research manager
Jesse Hunt, Leading the Future spokesperson
John O’Farrell, former Andreessen Horowitz partner
Chris Lehane, OpenAI global affairs chief
Sources: Wired
