The Scoop: OpenAI needs better comms. They’ve been looking for a CCO for 9 months.
Plus: Credit union president out of a job after ‘Lake America’ post; beauty brands turn awkward situation into memes.
To say it’s been a tumultuous month for the AI industry is an understatement. You’ve likely heard that most leaders of AI companies now believe there’s a decent chance AI either destroys the infrastructure of modern life or else outright kills us all.
It’s a bit of a comms challenge, to say the least.
Yet OpenAI, one of the preeminent AI organizations, has been without a chief communications officer for the past nine months, since the previous occupant, Hannah Wong, resigned. Fortune reports that since then, OpenAI has been looking for someone to lead comms — without success.
This is a big problem, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits his industry has done a “terrible job” at explaining the benefits, not just the drawbacks of the tech. At the same time, he’s also spreading concern about the tech’s capabilities. It’s hard to have it both ways.
Another ongoing issue is determining the reporting structure of the role. Fortune reports that there is debate about whether the role would be a true C-suite role, reporting directly to the president, or whether it would ladder up to the CMO. That role is also currently vacant.
To be sure, there is comms help in place right now, both from agencies and an in-house team led on an interim basis by the chief global affairs officer. But in such a moment of inflection, the lack of a dedicated leader is making a complex situation much harder.
Why it matters: As Fortune points out, there’s a small pool of talent willing and able to take on such a difficult role. OpenAI reportedly wanted current Uber CCO Jill Hazelbaker, who turned down the role for both personal and professional reasons. Finding that exact alignment of people who are intrigued or unhappy enough to seek a new role and have the personal ability to pull up stakes and move can be tricky.
At the same time, the uncertainty about the reporting structure surely doesn’t help. In a company like OpenAI, a CCO who doesn’t have direct access to the president and CEO and the political capital to challenge decisions is little more than an order taker. Few people who can perform the job, as well as it needs to be, would be interested in an arrangement where the CMO is an intermediary.
OpenAI, for its part, told Fortune that it’s looking for the right person and isn’t in a rush. It’s an admirable viewpoint. At the same time, when the tech is moving so fast, going this slow could have long-term repercussions on OpenAI’s reputation in the space.
Michigan credit union CEO fired after post mocking Canadians
The CEO of a Michigan-based credit union has lost her job after she posted an AI-generated photo of her and her family wearing shirts reading “Lake America,” with a caption that read “Like our sweatshirts? Not sure Canada will. Lol lol” on her personal social media account.
Family First Credit Union posted a terse three-sentence statement revealing that Jane Smith “is no longer an employee of Family First Credit Union, effective immediately.” Smith had already apologized for the photo, and Family First Credit Union had strongly disclaimed the sentiments, saying, “We support and respect our Canadian neighbors, and we completely disavow Ms. Smith’s actions, which were undertaken without the authorization or knowledge of the Credit Union.”
The greatest sin here was actively provoking Canadians. Saginaw, Michigan, where the credit union is based, is just 100 miles from Canada, and their community surely has strong cultural ties. Supporting the name change is one thing; actively reveling in the discomfort of Canadians is another.
Trumpian communications work for few leaders except Trump. And personal posts will always impact business, for better or worse.
After four beauty brands launched the same product simultaneously, memes ensue
Four major beauty brands all rolled out a new product that makes it easier to apply gooey hydrogel eye patches. It appears to be a coincidence, and it’s one that could have led to frosty silence and recriminations.
Instead, it spawned memes and jokes.
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Fenty Beauty posted a meme playing off the infamous “Spider-Men pointing at each other” featuring the product. Many of the rival brands chimed in on the comments, all in a friendly, playful way.
This moment demonstrates that when a slight snafu or weird coincidence happens, you don’t have to take it so seriously. By playing off the moment, a rising tide lifted all ships and drew more attention to the launch — including a feature in Elle. Rather than getting competitive and unpleasant, they just had fun. And that’s what great social media is about.
Disney is silent as former CEO bitterly tells all
Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek has launched a new tell-all book about his time leading the House of Mouse — and how he was allegedly interfered with by former and future CEO Bob Iger.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal about the book, Chapek dwells on his grievances and vaguely and ominously alludes to “powers bigger than me” controlling everything from COVID response to his own apology for how he handled Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Chapek also reveals that since departing the company, he has not returned to any of the theme parks and does not expect to.
“But I feel so let down, so disillusioned,” he said. “Never say never, but I don’t think the effort to erase my time as CEO is very consistent with me wanting to go back on ‘It’s a Small World.’”
The Journal asked Iger for a response, who in turn directed them to Disney, which declined to respond. That’s the right move. Getting into a tit-for-tat would drag everyone through the mud and relitigate moments that the company would rather forget. Not every crisis needs a response — sometimes, the best thing is just to let the moment pass.
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
