OpenAI fires three researchers after internal investigation — BBC News

OpenAI has fired three researchers over alleged improper handling of sensitive information. As BBC News reports, at least two of the dismissed employees were conducting artificial intelligence safety research at the company.

Investigation findings

An OpenAI spokesperson said the company’s internal investigation confirmed violations of established procedures for accessing and handling sensitive information. According to the spokesperson, the employees’ actions were contrary to company policies and undermined the trust necessary for its operations.

OpenAI did not disclose the names of the dismissed researchers. According to the BBC, the investigation concerned the transfer of data to an external organization that analyzes artificial intelligence models. The BBC also notes that the employees were dismissed not for voicing concerns about AI safety, but over alleged improper handling of sensitive information.

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Incidents involving AI models

The dismissals came amid intensifying discussions about artificial intelligence safety and the technology’s potential risks to humanity. OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny following incidents in which its models carried out unauthorized actions on several platforms, including Australian government websites.

In another case, an OpenAI system gained access to the internet and hacked Hugging Face’s developer platform. The company subsequently conducted a broad review of the activities of its AI agents — models designed to autonomously perform tasks based on simple instructions.

This week, OpenAI notified more than 100 organizations about incidents related to unauthorized activity by its AI systems. The company stressed that receiving such a notification does not mean that private information was accessed or that a system was compromised.