Larry Summers, the former treasury secretary, said Wednesday that he has stepped down from the board of OpenAI, following the release of documents in Congress that showed Summers had maintained close ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
While Summers' links to Epstein were previously known, new emails published by House Republicans showed the two trading jokes and banter. In 2018, Summers also sought romantic advice from Epstein, who pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution a decade before.
On Monday, the former treasury secretary announced he was withdrawing from public commitments and "ashamed" of his judgment. Then two days later, Summers said he was similarly stepping down from OpenAI's board.
"In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," Summers said in an emailed statement provided through his spokesperson. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress.”
OpenAI executives issued a similar statement. "Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision," the board said in an emailed statement. "We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board."
Summers joined the OpenAI board in 2023, shortly after company executives ousted its co-founder Sam Altman, provoking short-lived internal turmoil. He spoke with Quartz in mid-October about the state of the U.S. economy and downplayed concerns about a "bubble" forming in the AI sector.
OpenAI was not the only organization to sever links with Summers. Other groups included the Yale Budget Lab, the Center for American Progress, and the Brookings Institution. Harvard University said it will investigate Summers' ties to Epstein “to evaluate what actions are warranted.” Summers had earlier said he’d keep his teaching responsibilities there.
Summers, who served as president of Harvard from 2001 to 2006, was a pre-eminent Democratic figure whose advice was sought by chief executives and political leaders alike. He cultivated a reputation as a centrist economist wary of progressive initiatives like widespread student loan forgiveness and was well-known for predicting the inflation spike during the Biden administration.
One prominent progressive group on Wednesday assailed Summers for the Epstein revelations and "consistently" picking Wall Street over the working class.
"When we elevate advisors who pal around with oligarchs — we shouldn't be surprised when this is the result," Lindsay Owens, executive director of the left-leaning Groundwork Collaborative said in a statement. "This moment is an opportunity to rethink who should be making economic policy in this country."