3 fired OpenAI researchers release letter saying their axing will leave ‘chilling’ effects on company culture

OpenAI fired three employees last week after the company said an internal investigation found they mishandled sensitive information. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Three former OpenAI safety researchers said they were abruptly fired from the company last week. Each employee said on X that they were only given verbal reasons for their firing. The employees said their firings will have a "chilling" impact on OpenAI's "open culture." Three former OpenAI researchers released a letter on Thursday saying they were abruptly fired last week and that the move will have a "chilling" effect on company culture. In a letter titled "OpenAI cannot make AI safe on its own," the trio wrote that OpenAI is "not a normal company" and that working with third parties to address safety risks with the "freedom to do so without fear" is a key component of working there.