OpenAI hires ex-White House official as chief economist

(Reuters) – ChatGPT parent OpenAI has tapped former White House official Aaron Chatterji as its first chief economist to lead research on AI’s impact on the economy, the startup at the center of the generative artificial intelligence frenzy said on Tuesday.

Chatterji, a professor of business and public policy at Duke University, was formerly a White House CHIPS coordinator, responsible for the implementation of the $52.7 billion in subsidies for U.S. semiconductor production and research.

He was previously the chief economist of the Department of Commerce under President Joe Biden and has also served as a senior economist on former U.S. President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers.

In his new role, Chatterji will lead research into AI’s potential effects on economic growth and job creation. This research will also span the global economic impact of building AI infrastructure and insights on longer-term labor market trends.

Separately, the company also appointed ex-Uber executive Scott Schools as OpenAI’s chief compliance officer on Tuesday. Schools has also served as associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The appointments are the latest in OpenAI’s recent executive shake-ups and organizational changes.

(Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)