OpenAI doubles down on decision to fire three AI safety researchers

OpenAI has stood by its decision to fire three safety researchers, Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni, after an investigation found they had mishandled sensitive information. According to OpenAI, the researchers were dismissed for violating clear policies on handling sensitive information, which constituted a significant breach of trust.

The researchers, however, claim they were let go because they raised safety concerns at the tech firm, with Balesni stating they were fired for prioritizing safety over the near-term interests of OpenAI as a corporation. They published an open letter to OpenAI leadership outlining their account of the circumstances surrounding their termination.

OpenAI has denied that the dismissals were related to raising safety concerns or speaking out, stating that safety and research debates are encouraged and essential to making the right decisions. The company asserted that the decision to fire the researchers was not related to their concerns, but rather their breach of trust.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Verge, BBC Technology, BBC World, Techmeme, Investing.com — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.