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Former US treasury secretary the Harvard professor is leaving the directorate at OpenAI, just a week after a series of digital correspondence between him and notorious criminal Jeffrey Epstein became public.

Summers commented in a statement that he was "appreciative for the privilege to have contributed, enthusiastic about the promise of the company, and look forward following their progress".

Summers, who previously led the Ivy League institution, declared on Monday that he would be withdrawing from public commitments due to his connections with Jeffrey Epstein.

Email Communications

The freshly disclosed emails demonstrated that the official corresponded with Epstein until the day before Epstein's 2019 apprehension for accused human trafficking of minors.

In another announcement, the artificial intelligence company stated it accepted his determination to step down.

"We value his many contributions and the viewpoint he offered to the governing body," the company remarked.

Congressional Action

This news arrives after the two houses of the US legislature agreed on Tuesday to approve a legislation that would require the US justice department to make public its records on the case.

The measure will afterward proceed to the desk of the White House for approval. The President has indicated he expects to approve the bill, after changing his position on the issue following pressure from his followers.

Correspondence Findings

A collection of financier-linked messages made public by the Congressional committee last week referenced several high-profile figures in the billionaire's former circle, without indicating any criminal activity by those figures.

The emails showed that the economist and Jeffrey Epstein dined together frequently, with he often trying to introduce the official to notable international personalities.

Individual Statement

After the correspondence were shared with the wider community, Summers expressed he accepted "complete accountability for my poor decision to maintain interacting with the financier".

He continued that he wanted "to rebuild faith and mend connections with the individuals closest to me".

Professional History

Summers served in senior posts under Democratic administrations; acting as treasury secretary under the former president, and as head of the economic advisory body under President Obama.

He led the institution from 2001 to 2006 and continues to be a faculty member there. When declaring his departure from public duties previously on Monday, he stated he would persist with his academic responsibilities.

Further Repercussions

Following his announcement on earlier this week, the policy organization, a progressive think tank in the capital where the professor was a prominent member, confirmed that Summers was ceased to be associated with the institution.

He joined the leadership of the AI company, which creates ChatGPT, in 2023 - following a failed attempt to oust its CEO the company leader.