OpenAI explains why it fired 3 researchers amid ‘suspicious’ exit claims

OpenAI has issued a new statement, explaining the reason behind firing three researchers last week.

Taking to X, the ChatGPT maker company said that it fired three researchers Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni, and Tomek Korbak after a thorough investigation found they violated clear policies on handling sensitive information, not because they raised safety concerns or spoke out.

“Our internal investigation uncovered a significant breach of trust beyond what’s outlined in the letter they published and we stand by the decision to not continue their employment,” the statement reads.

The company’s statement comes after the fired researchers raised concerns in a published letter, highlighting circumstances that led to their termination. They revealed that they had been fired due to raising concerns over safety related to the latest artificial intelligence model.

According to Korbak, he was terminated over his communication with external AI safety organization METR. Balesni said the company dismissed him because of speaking too much to third party safety organizations.

OpenAI also states that they encourage spirited, critical safety debates and research discussions, considering them as essential. Given its importance, the company emphasizes that they do not terminate employees for raising concerns.

OpenAI also agrees that preserving the monitorability of frontier models requires an industry-wide commitment and highlights their ongoing investments, publications, and open-source evals in this area.

The company also states that it is finalizing contracts with third-party assessors. The details will be disclosed soon as per the statement.