Larry Summers has announced he will step down from the OpenAI board following the release of his communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The emails showed a close connection between Epstein and Summers as recently as March 2019, the day before Epstein’s arrest.
“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” Summers said in a statement.
“While continuing to fulfill my teaching obligations, I will be stepping back from public commitments as one part of my broader effort to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”
“In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress,” Summers added.
“We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board,” the OpenAI board of directors said in a statement.
Summers’ withdrawal from public duties comes after Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged affiliated institutions to sever ties with him.
“For decades, Larry Summers has demonstrated his attraction to serving the wealthy and well-connected, but his willingness to cozy up to a convicted sex offender demonstrates monumentally bad judgment,” Warren stated.
Summers, who previously served as Treasury Secretary under President Bill Clinton, the director of the National Economic Council for President Barack Obama, and a former Harvard University president, said he will continue to fulfill his teaching obligations at Harvard.
Summers became a member of OpenAI’s board in 2023.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
