OpenAI recently announced that Paul M. Nakasone, the former director of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), has joined the company's board and security committee, overseeing product safety. However, this news has sparked considerable controversy on social media platforms.
According to U.S. lawmakers, during Nakasone's tenure as the NSA director, he was involved in expanding illegal surveillance programs targeting U.S. citizens, and even collaborated with other agencies in such unlawful surveillance activities. This has severely infringed upon citizens' privacy rights, drawing widespread societal concern.
Following the revelation of this news, many netizens expressed concerns and resistance towards OpenAI's hiring of Nakasone. Some users even announced their intention to cancel their ChatGPT Plus subscriptions, fearing that their personal data might be subjected to illegal surveillance and usage, thereby affecting their privacy rights. Notable entrepreneur Kim Dotcom directly accused OpenAI of hiring a "spy" and expressed concerns about potential surveillance activities by the company. There are also worries that Nakasone's joining OpenAI could lead to an expansion of NSA's surveillance scope, further infringing on user privacy.
This incident has sparked extensive public discussion and could negatively impact OpenAI's corporate image and user trust. Both the company itself and Nakasone personally will face unprecedented challenges. For OpenAI, the pressing issues are how to balance security with privacy protection and how to regain user trust. Meanwhile, Nakasone needs to actively address societal concerns, clarify his stance, and alleviate the doubts and unease caused by his joining OpenAI.