OpenAI cuts ties with three safety researchers — TechCrunch

OpenAI has cut ties with three researchers from its safety team following an internal investigation into the handling of sensitive corporate information. TechCrunch reported this, citing The Wall Street Journal.

Investigation findings

An OpenAI spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that the three people violated the company’s policy on accessing and handling sensitive information. According to the spokesperson, the internal investigation found that they handled such information outside established procedures, thereby violating company rules and the trust required for its operations.

As TechCrunch writes, citing the WSJ, the researchers allegedly provided confidential corporate information to an external organization involved in artificial intelligence safety. The names of the researchers, the name of that organization, and the nature of the information were not disclosed. OpenAI did not provide TechCrunch with an immediate comment.

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Posts circulated on the social network X naming people whom users believed to be involved in the case. TechCrunch did not confirm their identities.

Reports about safety practices

The termination of cooperation came two days after a New York Times publication in which OpenAI employees described cases of management ignoring warnings about safety practices. An OpenAI spokesperson then told the newspaper that the company takes such issues seriously, has internal channels for reporting safety risks, and recognizes the need to act faster.

It is unknown whether the three researchers used the company’s internal channels before the alleged transfer of information to an external organization. In 2024, OpenAI also dismissed researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over allegations of information leaks, The Information wrote.