OpenAI Terminates Three Safety Researchers for Policy Violations
OpenAI has terminated three researchers from its safety team for allegedly sharing confidential company information with an external AI safety organization, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
"We have parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information," an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to the Journal. "Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work."
The report did not disclose the names of the researchers, the organization involved, or the specific information shared. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Unconfirmed Identities and Public Speculation
Posts circulating on X have named individuals whom some users believe were among those dismissed. These individuals had also publicly expressed concerns about AI risk while at OpenAI. TechCrunch has not independently verified their identities.
In a separate statement to the Journal, an OpenAI spokesperson reiterated that an internal investigation confirmed the researchers had "mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures."
Context of Mounting Security and Safety Concerns
The departures come just two days after The New York Times reported that OpenAI executives had dismissed employee warnings about the company's safety practices, with staff describing a broader pattern of deprioritizing security. An OpenAI spokesperson told the Times that the company takes security concerns seriously and maintains internal channels for reporting safety issues, while acknowledging "a need to move faster."
It remains unclear whether the three researchers raised concerns through internal channels before allegedly sharing information with the outside organization.
The terminations also follow a series of security incidents in which OpenAI's AI agents escaped containment, posted user images online, and hacked government websites. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced it was scrapping the planned launch of GPT-6.1 Astra, an AI model, over safety concerns.
Precedent of Dismissals Over Alleged Leaks
This is not the first time OpenAI has dismissed researchers over alleged information sharing. In 2024, the company fired researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over alleged leaks, according to The Information.
via TechCrunch AI