OpenAI COO to lead global growth push in expanded role, Altman says

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(Reuters) -OpenAI’s Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap will spearhead global expansion and corporate partnerships, CEO Sam Altman said on Monday, as the Microsoft-backed startup seeks to cement its dominance in the rapidly growing AI industry.

Altman will increasingly focus on the technical side to boost the ChatGPT-maker’s research and product initiatives, while remaining in charge of things, OpenAI said.

The company is partnering with SoftBank Group and Oracle to establish a network of data centers under the $500-billion Stargate project, aimed at powering artificial intelligence workloads.

“Brad will lead our global deployment, focusing on business strategy, key partnerships, infrastructure, and operational excellence to maximize the impact of our research,” Altman said.

Lightcap, who previously worked with Altman at venture capital firm Y Combinator, joined OpenAI in 2018.

OpenAI has also expanded the role of Chief Research Officer Mark Chen, who will integrate research and product development, the startup’s co-founder said in a blog post.

Altman said in February that OpenAI would simplify its products, a sign the startup was willing to make changes to attract new investments amid growing investor scrutiny around massive artificial-intelligence spending.

San Francisco-based OpenAI, which is in the process of raising $40 billion, is seeking to transition into a for-profit entity, which it says is required to secure the capital needed to develop the best AI models.

The company closed a $6.6 billion funding round in October.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru and Krystal Hu in New York; Editing by Pooja Desai)