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Former US treasury secretary the Harvard professor is exiting the board at the ChatGPT creator, just several days after a collection of electronic messages between him and late convicted sex offender the disgraced billionaire became public.

He remarked in a release that he was "grateful for the privilege to have contributed, excited about the prospects of the enterprise, and anticipate observing their advancement".

Summers, who once headed the prestigious university, announced on earlier this week that he would be stepping back from public commitments due to his connections with the convicted sex offender.

Message Exchange

The recently released messages revealed that the economist corresponded with Jeffrey Epstein until the day before Epstein's 2019 apprehension for suspected sex trafficking of minors.

In additional comments, the technology organization expressed it accepted his determination to resign.

"We value his many contributions and the insight he offered to the governing body," the organization stated.

Congressional Action

This development follows after both chambers of Congress agreed on this week to approve a bill that would mandate the US justice department to disclose its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

The legislation will afterward head to the office of the White House for signature. He has said he intends to sign the legislation, after modifying his stance on the subject following pressure from his followers.

Email Contents

A group of Epstein-related correspondence disclosed by the legislative panel last week included multiple well-known personalities in the financier's former circle, without implying any criminal activity by those individuals.

The messages showed that Summers and the financier dined together frequently, with the billionaire often trying to connect the academic to notable international personalities.

Personal Accountability

After the emails were made available with the wider community, he expressed he assumed "full responsibility for my poor judgment to continue interacting with Mr Epstein".

He further stated that he hoped "to rebuild faith and repair connections with the individuals nearest to me".

Previous Positions

The professor held high-level positions under two Democratic presidents; acting as treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, and as leader of the economic advisory body under the former leader.

He headed Harvard from five years and is still a academic there. When declaring his departure from public duties previously on Monday, he said he would continue his educational duties.

Additional Consequences

Following the economist's announcement on earlier this week, the Center for American Progress, a progressive research organization in Washington where Summers was a prominent member, confirmed that Summers was no longer associated with the organization.

The former official entered the leadership of the technology firm, which makes the AI chatbot, in last year - following a defeated move to replace its chief executive Sam Altman.