OpenAI says it didn’t fire 3 safety researchers for 'speaking out' on AI risks
OpenAI has denied that the termination of three safety researchers was related to their public criticism of the company's AI safety practices. The company maintains that the researchers were fired for violating internal policies regarding the handling of sensitive information.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing internal debate within AI labs regarding the balance between corporate secrecy and the ethical responsibility to address AI risks.
Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI. Heather Diehl/Getty Images OpenAI says its recent firing of three AI safety researchers was unrelated to "raising safety concerns or speaking out." The ChatGPT maker said the trio violated policies on handling sensitive information. The ex-researchers warned in an open letter that their firings will have a "chilling" effect. OpenAI on Friday doubled down on its decision to fire three AI safety researchers , saying they were axed for mishandling sensitive information, not for voicing concerns about the technology's risks. In a new statement, the Sam Altman -led company said it parted ways with Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni, and Tomek Korbak after an internal investigation found they had "violated clear policies on handling sensitive information."
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
"Fired For Prioritising Safety": Ex-OpenAI Researcher On Termination
OpenAI doubles down on decision to fire three AI safety researchers
Fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute misconduct claims, warn of chilling effect
Fired OpenAI researchers say they were let go for 'prioritising safety'
Fired researchers accuse OpenAI of 'chilling' safety efforts
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