Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has announced his resignation from the board of OpenAI following the release of emails revealing his communications with deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement to the BBC, Summers expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve on the board and voiced excitement about OpenAI's future prospects.
Summers, who has held prestigious roles including president of Harvard University, stated that he would be stepping back from public commitments due to his connections with Epstein, particularly in light of the recently shared emails that showed he had correspondence with Epstein up until the day before the latter's arrest in 2019 for alleged sex trafficking.
OpenAI has respected Summers' decision to resign, acknowledging his contributions to the board. Summers took full responsibility for his decisions to communicate with Epstein and expressed a desire to rebuild trust with those close to him.
The controversy surrounding the emails comes at a time when Congress is taking action to pass a bill requiring the release of Epstein-related files from the US justice department, which is anticipated to be signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Summers, a senior political figure with experience under two Democratic administrations, had only joined the OpenAI board in 2023 following a controversial attempt to oust CEO Sam Altman.
