{
  "id": 11321163,
  "title": "OpenAI says three staffers fired for mishandling ‘sensitive’ info",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/openai-says-three-staffers-fired-for-mishandling-sensitive-info-11321163",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-02T00:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/02/openai-says-three-staffers-fired-for-mishandling-sensitive-info"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI announced on Thursday that it had dismissed three researchers for allegedly mishandling sensitive information and violating company policies. The AI lab, based in San Francisco, did not disclose the names of the individuals but confirmed that at least two of them had worked on safety and alignment. OpenAI's statement said that the firings resulted from the employees mishandling information outside established procedures, violating policies and undermining trust in their work. The dismissals come amid a heated discussion about AI safety and the potential existential risk posed by the technology's rapid advancement. Last month, former OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon resigned, warning that major AI labs, including OpenAI, were recklessly racing to develop increasingly powerful models. Three of the fired researchers, Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni, had recently posted about AI safety-related issues on X. Balesni expressed a 10% likelihood that AI could lead to human extinction, echoing sentiments from other AI employees. Korbak, in particular, was vocal about his dissatisfaction with OpenAI's practices, stating his unhappiness with the company's actions. The incident follows a recent voluntary pledge by leading US tech companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to self-regulate safety in response to a meeting with President Donald Trump.",
  "summary": "The firings come amid a tense debate about AI safety and whether the technology presents an existential risk to humanity.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "OpenAI Says It Fired 3 Staffers For Mishandling \"Sensitive\" Info",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/openai-says-it-fired-3-staffers-for-mishandling-sensitive-info",
        "published": "2026-10-01T23:48:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Business",
        "title": "OpenAI says three staffers fired for mishandling 'sensitive' information",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/openai-says-three-staffers-fired-for-mishandling-sensitive-information",
        "published": "2026-10-02T00:13:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "OpenAI says three staffers fired for mishandling ‘sensitive’ info",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/openai-says-three-staffers-fired-for-mishandling-sensitive-info",
        "published": "2026-10-02T00:20:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "OpenAI fired three staffers for mishandling 'sensitive' info and violating company policies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/openai-fired-three-staffers-for-mishandling-sensitive-info-and",
        "published": "2026-10-02T00:43:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Business",
        "title": "OpenAI fires three workers over mishandling 'sensitive information'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/openai-fires-three-workers-over-mishandling-sensitive-information",
        "published": "2026-10-02T01:05:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}