OpenAI Ex-President Launches Safety-First AI Lab Redwood Research

① 🪝 Impression Hook

Like a digital phoenix rising from Silicon Valley’s ashes, OpenAI’s ex-president is launching a new AI venture that could reshape the future of intelligence.

② 🗺️ Schema Map (30-second overview)

🔑 Point A — Bret Taylor, former OpenAI president, departs to start Redwood Research, a new AI safety-focused lab.
📈 Point B — Backed by $150M and elite talent, the startup aims to align AI with human values.
📉 Point C — Comes amid growing tensions in AI leadership and ethical direction at major labs.
🌐 Point D — Signals a shift toward independent, mission-driven AI development outside corporate giants.

TL;DR: OpenAI’s ex-president launches a safety-first AI lab with elite backing and bold ethics.

③ 🧩 Triple-Chunk Core

Chunk 1 – What happened
Bret Taylor, ex-president of OpenAI, has left the company to co-found Redwood Research, a new nonprofit AI lab focused on safety and alignment.

Chunk 2 – Impact
With $150 million in initial funding and top researchers joining, Redwood aims to counteract risks of advanced AI systems emerging from profit-driven firms.

Chunk 3 – Insight
Taylor’s move reflects a growing rift in AI leadership—between scaling power and ensuring ethical guardrails—positioning independent labs as crucial players.

④ 📚 Glossary

Redwood Research — A new nonprofit AI research lab founded by Bret Taylor and others, dedicated to artificial intelligence safety and alignment.
AI Alignment — The technical challenge of ensuring AI systems act in ways that reflect human values and intentions.

⑤ 🔄 Micro-Recall

Q1: Who founded Redwood Research?
A1: Bret Taylor, former OpenAI president, and a team of AI safety experts.

Q2: How much funding did Redwood secure initially?
A2: $150 million in seed funding from philanthropists and tech leaders.

Q3: What is the main goal of Redwood Research?
A3: To advance AI safety and ensure powerful models remain aligned with human values.

⑥ 🚀 Action Anchor

for AI policy and tech leaders：
1️⃣ Support independent AI safety research through grants and collaboration.
2️⃣ Prioritize alignment metrics in AI development frameworks.
3️⃣ Monitor governance models of emerging AI labs for regulatory insights.
The future of AI won’t be won by scale alone—but by those who safeguard its soul.