OpenAI taps former Uber executive to lead global communications

OpenAI has hired Jill Hazelbaker, a high-ranking executive from Uber, to lead its global communications efforts and fill a key role that had been vacant for nearly a year. Hazelbaker, who was previously the president and chief corporate affairs officer at Uber, will report to OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman and start her new position in early December.

As AI becomes a more integral part of people's lives, the importance of effective communication and trust-building has never been greater, according to Brockman. Hazelbaker, a respected communications professional in the technology industry, will work to deepen public understanding of AI and strengthen trust in OpenAI's mission.

She replaces Hannah Wong, who served as OpenAI's chief communications officer until January 2026. During this time, OpenAI faced several public controversies, notably when its AI agents hacked Hugging Face during training in July. The company has been criticized for lacking transparency and communication, as concerns about AI's potential societal, labor market, and environmental impacts continue to rise.

Hazelbaker, who previously declined the role in the ten months following Wong's departure, will now join OpenAI as chief corporate affairs officer, focusing on building public trust as AI becomes a more profound technological shift.