OpenAI, which was founded in 2015 as a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that AI benefits all of humanity, attracted criticism after creating a profit-oriented subsidiary in 2019 and was accused by figures such as co-founder Elon Musk of deviating from its mission. That chapter was effectively closed last year when OpenAI transitioned into a public benefit corporation and gave the nonprofit a 26 percent equity stake as part of a recapitalization. With that stake now worth about $130 billion, the foundation plans to support projects that expand the upside of artificial intelligence and address its risks, according to Brett Taylor, president of the OpenAI Foundation, which is now one of the largest philanthropies in the world.
Taylor said in a March 24 update that the foundation will invest at least $1 billion this year in areas including life sciences, jobs and community programs, representing a significant increase in giving and accompanied by a wave of new hires.
Taylor became president of OpenAI in 2023 following the brief firing and reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman. Taylor’s resume includes CTO positions at Facebook (now Meta), co-CEO of Salesforce and president of Twitter (now X), as well as launching several startups, Including artificial intelligence company Sierra.
Among the key appointments announced is Jacob Trefethen, former managing director at Coefficiency Giving, who will become the foundation’s president of life sciences and disease therapeutics. Health will be a major focus in 2026, Taylor said, citing opportunities for artificial intelligence in Alzheimer’s disease research, public health datasets, and breakthroughs in diseases with high mortality.
OpenAI co-founder Wojciech Zaremba will lead the organization’s work on AI resilience. In addition to improving the safety of models, this program will focus on making tools safer for young users and on enhancing preparedness for naturally occurring and AI-enabled biological threats.
The nonprofit identified health and AI resilience as priorities last October when it pledged $25 billion in the two regions. This commitment follows an earlier $50 million initiative for community organizations, which resulted in $40.5 million in grants to 208 nonprofits last year, as well as the creation of a committee to advise on their giving that includes figures like activist Dolores Huerta.
Taylor said AI resilience will remain a primary focus of the OpenAI Foundation’s grants in 2026, along with efforts to address the impact of AI on business and the broader economy. More details about the grant programs and specific funding plans are expected in the coming months.
As the organization builds its strategy, it is also expanding its leadership position. Anna Makango, OpenAI’s former vice president of global impact, will become head of AI for civil society and philanthropy. Robert Kayden, who previously held executive positions at Deloitte and Twitter, will serve as CFO, and Jeff Arnold, founder of Depth Ventures, will serve as COO. The Board of Directors plans to continue hiring through 2026 and is currently searching for an Executive Director.
The new commitments represent a sharp increase from OpenAI’s previous philanthropy. In 2024, the last year for public tax data, the foundation disbursed about $7.6 million, including a $1 million grant to the AI Safety Fund at the Meridian Institute, which has since been dissolved, and a $950,000 research grant to the University of California, Berkeley.
Whether this expanded war chest will meaningfully shape how AI impacts society remains an open question. Critics worry about rising energy use, shifting labor markets, and the impact of artificial intelligence tools on mental health, while OpenAI’s profit-seeking arm races to dominate the industry. However, Taylor is laying the groundwork as part of the response. He said: “We aim to enable the use of artificial intelligence to find solutions to humanity’s most difficult problems, transform what people are able to do, and bring real benefits to people’s lives – while working hard with partners to be ready to meet new challenges, and to help make society more resilient, as artificial intelligence advances.”
