OpenAI says fired researchers broke policy, not safety concerns

On October 9, OpenAI published a statement from its research leaders via its official account, explicitly denying that the dismissal of safety researchers Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni, and Tomek Korbak was retaliation for raising safety concerns.

The statement asserted that a thorough internal investigation found the three individuals violated clear policies on handling sensitive information, involving a significant breach of trust beyond what was outlined in their public letter. OpenAI emphasized that spirited and highly critical safety and research debates occur daily within the company, and that no employees are terminated for raising concerns.

Previously, the three fired researchers released an open letter on October 8 claiming they were dismissed for prioritizing safety over OpenAI's near-term corporate interests, warning of a chilling effect on remaining staff. OpenAI did not disclose specific details of the alleged violations but stated it is finalizing contracts with third-party safety assessors and remains committed to embedding external evaluators.