ChatGPT-maker OpenAI hires European top lobbyist

BRUSSELS — OpenAI has recruited a former fintech lobbyist to lead the company’s policy efforts in Europe.

Sandro Gianella is joining the company as head of European policy and partnerships, he announced Wednesday in a tweet. Gianella has had a long career in public policy, working as the European top lobbyist at payment handler Stripe as his last stint. Previously, he also worked in the European public policy teams at Google.

Gianella will build up a European team and report to Anna Makanju, who’s leading the global policy teams, he clarified to POLITICO.

Announcing his move, Gianella said he was humbled to work on technologies “that require such careful deliberation and discussion between developers, users, academics, civil society and policy-makers at the global level.”

Generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have upended European policymakers’ planned roadmap to regulate AI through the Artificial Intelligence Act, resulting in a call for voluntary, nonbinding guidelines to preempt the upcoming rules.

In May, OpenAI’s Sam Altman toured Europe, meeting multiple government leaders, while also getting a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Last week, internal market chief Thierry Breton also discussed AI with Altman while he was on a visit to San Francisco.