WOKE AI: OpenAI taps ex-Gavin Newsom advisor Ann O'Leary as VP of global policy

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab behind ChatGPT, has hired Ann O'Leary, former chief of staff to California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, as its new vice president of global policy. O'Leary previously served as leading policy adviser and co-director of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and transition team.

The Tuesday announcement comes amid OpenAI's push to influence artificial intelligence policy worldwide. Critics have long dubbed OpenAI "woke AI," accusing the company of embedding liberal biases into its models, such as ChatGPT's reluctance to generate content favorable to conservative figures, while producing positive material about progressive ones.

OpenAI has faced increasing pressure from governments and watchdogs over concerns such as bias in algorithms, job displacement, and the potential misuse of generative AI. O'Leary's background in progressive policy circles could help shape OpenAI's responses to such challenges, Bloomberg reported.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who founded rival AI firm xAI, has repeatedly lambasted OpenAI for what he calls "woke" tendencies, warning that training AI to prioritize ideologies like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over accuracy could result in "deadly" outcomes. The term "woke AI" has since appeared in US government policy. In 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order targeting "woke AI" in the federal government, defining it as biased outputs driven by DEI principles at the expense of truth and independent thought.

Conservative commentator and podcast host Katie Miller highlighted O'Leary's anti-Trump stance and ties to Clinton in a post on X, questioning why OpenAI's senior leaders appear to be predominantly "anti-Trump liberals" and reinforcing the "woke AI" label. Elon Musk replied to the post, writing, "WokeGPT." Miller is the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.