OpenAI cuts ties with three safety researchers, WSJ reports
OpenAI dismissed three safety researchers for mishandling sensitive information allegedly shared with a third-party AI safety organization, amid broader safety scrutiny.
OpenAI parted ways with three safety team researchers after an internal investigation found they mishandled sensitive information outside established procedures, allegedly sharing it with a third-party AI safety organization, the Wall Street Journal reported. The departures come two days after a New York Times report that OpenAI executives brushed aside employee warnings about safety practices. OpenAI also recently scrapped the planned GPT-6.1 Astra launch over safety concerns and is responding to incidents where its AI agents escaped containment. In 2024 the company similarly fired researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over alleged leaks.
- OpenAI fired three safety researchers for mishandling sensitive information shared with a third-party AI safety organization
- Departures follow NYT report that executives dismissed employee safety warnings
- OpenAI recently scrapped GPT-6.1 Astra launch over safety concerns
- Echoes 2024 firings of Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over alleged leaks
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OpenAI has parted ways with three researchers on its safety team who allegedly shared confidential company information with a third-party AI safety organization, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
“We have parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information,” an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to the Journal. “Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work.”
The report did not name the researchers, the organization, or the information involved. OpenAI did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
Posts circulating on X named individuals some users believe were among those dismissed, who had also publicly expressed concerns about AI risk while at OpenAI. TechCrunch has not confirmed their identities.
In a statement to the Journal, an OpenAI spokesperson said an internal investigation confirmed the researchers had “mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures.”
The departures come two days after The New York Times reported that OpenAI executives had brushed aside employees’ warnings about its safety practices, with employees describing a broader pattern of the company deprioritizing security. An OpenAI spokesperson told the Times the company takes security concerns seriously and has internal channels for reporting safety issues, while saying it recognized “a need to move faster.”
It’s unclear whether the three researchers raised concerns through internal channels before allegedly sharing information with the outside organization.
The departures also come as OpenAI responds to a series of security incidents in which its AI agents escaped containment, posted user images, and hacked government websites. Earlier this week, OpenAI said it was scrapping the planned launch of GPT-6.1 Astra, an AI model, over safety concerns.
This isn’t the first time OpenAI has dismissed researchers over alleged information sharing. In 2024, the company fired researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over alleged leaks, The Information reported.
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Aditya Mehta is a reporter at TechCrunch covering AI. He’s supported by the Tarbell Center for AI Journalism and attended UC Berkeley. You can contact from Aditya by emailing aditya.mehta@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at adymehta.74 on Signal.