{
  "id": 13215968,
  "title": "OpenAI Fires 3 Safety Researchers in Dispute Over AI Risks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks-13215968",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-09T21:07:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SecurityWeek",
    "slug": "securityweek",
    "url": "https://www.securityweek.com/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "OpenAI has fired three safety researchers, Tomek Korbak, Jasmine Wang, and Mikita Balesni, for a \"breach of trust.\" According to OpenAI, the researchers violated clear policies on handling sensitive information. The firings were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.\n\nThe researchers had accused OpenAI of putting its corporate interests before safety, prompting their removal. In a letter to OpenAI's safety oversight groups, they expressed concerns that internal and external communications about their dismissals have chilled the company's culture, which previously encouraged open discussion of safety concerns.\n\nThe researchers had urged OpenAI to allow third-party safety monitors inside the company and to preserve the ability to monitor rapidly advancing frontier AI models that could pose unknown risks. Their firings are the latest sign of turmoil inside leading AI companies over the safety of the technology.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "OpenAI fires 3 safety researchers in dispute over AI risks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks",
        "published": "2026-10-09T11:06:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "OpenAI denies firing researchers over AI safety warnings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-denies-firing-researchers-over-ai-safety-warnings",
        "published": "2026-10-09T14:50:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "OpenAI fires 3 safety researchers in dispute over AI risks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks-13179348",
        "published": "2026-10-09T18:33:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fast Company",
        "title": "OpenAI fires 3 safety researchers after dispute over AI risks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-after-dispute-over-ai-risks",
        "published": "2026-10-09T19:59:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "OpenAI Denies Firing Researchers Over AI Safety Warnings",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-denies-firing-researchers-over-ai-safety-warnings-13214734",
        "published": "2026-10-09T20:33:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Today",
        "title": "OpenAI fires 3 safety researchers in dispute over AI risks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks-13207195",
        "published": "2026-10-09T20:47:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NPR",
        "title": "Fired OpenAI employees question the company's commitment to safety",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/fired-openai-employees-question-the-companys-commitment-to-safety",
        "published": "2026-10-09T21:28:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}