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Former US treasury secretary the Harvard professor is exiting the board at OpenAI, just days after a batch of electronic messages between him and deceased financier the disgraced billionaire became widely known.

The economist remarked in a statement that he was "appreciative for the privilege to have served, enthusiastic about the potential of the organization, and eagerly await tracking their progress".

The prominent academic, who previously led the Ivy League institution, declared on Monday that he would be stepping back from public responsibilities due to his association with the convicted sex offender.

Message Exchange

The newly public communications demonstrated that Summers corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein until the day before his 2019 apprehension for alleged trafficking of young people.

In additional comments, the artificial intelligence company said it respected his choice to depart.

"We acknowledge his numerous inputs and the viewpoint he brought to the directors," the company commented.

Political Context

This news comes after both chambers of the legislative branch decided on recently to endorse a bill that would mandate the US justice department to disclose its records on the case.

The legislation will subsequently head to the office of US President Donald Trump for approval. He has said he expects to endorse the legislation, after modifying his position on the matter following pressure from his followers.

Correspondence Findings

A batch of financier-linked correspondence disclosed by the Congressional committee recently referenced several prominent individuals in the billionaire's former circle, without indicating any criminal activity by those people.

The emails indicated that the professor and the financier dined together frequently, with Epstein often seeking to introduce the official to influential global figures.

Personal Response

After the correspondence were made available with the public, Summers said he assumed "full responsibility for my ill-advised decision to continue corresponding with Mr Epstein".

He added that he hoped "to reestablish trust and repair bonds with the persons most important to me".

Professional History

Summers occupied high-level positions under two Democratic presidents; functioning as treasury secretary under President Clinton, and as leader of the National Economic Council under President Obama.

He presided over Harvard from five years and continues to be a academic there. When stating his withdrawal from public roles earlier on Monday, he said he would continue his academic responsibilities.

Additional Consequences

Following the economist's announcement on earlier this week, the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank in DC where the professor was a researcher, verified that he was not affiliated with the group.

He joined the board of OpenAI, which makes the AI chatbot, in last year - following a failed attempt to remove its CEO OpenAI's head.