🔗 Share this article Harvard ex-president Summers Leaves from OpenAI Board The economist declared he would step back from public duties after House committee released his regular correspondence with Epstein Ex-Treasury chief Larry Summers is exiting the governing body at OpenAI, just a week after a collection of digital correspondence between him and deceased financier the accused trafficker became public. Summers stated in a release that he was "appreciative for the chance to have contributed, enthusiastic about the promise of the company, and anticipate observing their advancement". The former Harvard president, who previously headed the prestigious university, announced on Monday that he would be withdrawing from public responsibilities due to his connections with the convicted sex offender. Message Exchange The recently released communications showed that the economist exchanged messages with Epstein until the day before the financier's 2019 apprehension for alleged human trafficking of minors. In another announcement, the artificial intelligence company stated it accepted the economist's determination to step down. "We value his significant contributions and the insight he offered to the Board," the organization commented. Congressional Action This news comes after both chambers of the legislative branch decided on recently to endorse a measure that would require the federal prosecutors to make public its files on Epstein. The bill will then head to the administration of President Trump for endorsement. He has said he expects to endorse the bill, after reversing his stance on the issue following objections from his base. Message Details A group of financier-linked messages disclosed by the legislative panel days ago referenced several high-profile figures in the billionaire's past associates, without indicating any illegal behavior by those people. The messages indicated that Summers and Jeffrey Epstein often met for meals, with Epstein often attempting to connect Summers to prominent world leaders. Individual Statement After the messages were made available with the wider community, he expressed he assumed "full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein". He further stated that he wanted "to rebuild trust and mend relationships with the people nearest to me". Career Background Summers occupied leadership roles under two Democratic presidents; serving as Treasury chief under President Clinton, and as head of the economic advisory body under President Obama. He headed Harvard from five years and is still a professor there. When announcing his departure from public roles recently on this week, he stated he would maintain his teaching commitments. Additional Consequences Following Summers' declaration on earlier this week, the Washington think tank, a left-leaning think tank in DC where Summers was a senior fellow, confirmed that he was no longer connected with the institution. The former official joined the board of the AI company, which makes the language model, in the previous year - following a failed attempt to remove its chief executive the company leader.