OpenAI, the fast-growing AI firm, has appointed Sarah Friar, the ex-CEO of Nextdoor, as its CFO, a position that has remained vacant for two years. Friar, origininally from Sion Mills, Co Tyrone, also holds a board seat at Walmart and was formerly the CFO at fintech firm, Square. Her role will involve fostering the development of AI technology and expanding the international business.
In addition to Friar, Kevin Weil has been selected as the company’s new chief product officer. Weil has substantial experience in managing product development, having formerly served as an executive at Instagram and Twitter. The formerly president of product and business at satellite image services firm Planet Labs PBC, Weil will helm a product team committed to integrating OpenAI’s research into services for consumers and business users.
It’s a pivotal moment for OpenAI, considering the company’s main objective – to increase its AI product revenue by marketing services to business clients and integrating improved features such as advanced voice capacity in its consumer chatbot application.
OpenAI is facing a growing number of financially robust competitors out for the same customers and businesses. To maintain a competitive edge, the company has started training a more powerful AI model.
OpenAI’s leadership is under ebbed scrutiny concerning their focus on monetizing AI rather than ensuring safety, following the dissolution of a conspicuous safety group focused on dealing with the long-term risks of AI. The firm has also experienced a spate of departures from safety-themed teams but has emphasized its commitment to safe and responsible AI development.
Weil, in a statement, expressed his excitement to join OpenAI, referring to a theoretical type of AI that can rival humans’ capabilities in many tasks while mentioning, “the product team at OpenAI has set the pace for both patent innovation and thoughtful deployment of AI products”.