OpenAI stated that it had terminated the services of 3 safety researchers for a breach of trust. On the other hand, the three dismissed employees said that the AI giant removed them because of its policy of putting corporate interests over safety. The AI company said it parted ways with the researchers after a probe discovered that they violated clear policies on handling sensitive data.

The three researchers are Mikita Balesni, Tomek Korbak and Jasmine Wang. They raised concerns that their termination could discourage other employees from speaking up about AI safety and collaborating with external safety organizations. However, OpenAI has denied that the move was related to raising safety concerns. This dispute shows growing tensions around AI safety as the industry faces increased scrutiny following recent hacking incidents and warnings from experts about AI risks.

The three researchers who were instrumental in probing the OpenAI-linked Hugging Face hack said that advanced AI cannot be developed safely unless researchers can work closely with one another and independent experts in an environment built on trust.

OpenAI also disclosed that it was finalizing contracts with third-party safety assessors and that it would announce details in the coming weeks. The former reiterated its commitment to working with independent safety organizations.

SOURCES:-

https://www.securityweek.com/openai-fires-3-safety-researchers-in-dispute-over-ai-risks/

https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/artificial-intelligence/openai-fires-three-ai-safety-researchers-breach-of-trust-10914021/

https://www.ndtvprofit.com/technology/openai-defends-firing-3-researchers-after-ai-safety-concerns-spark-controversy-12161575

https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/08/fired-openai-safety-researchers-dispute-misconduct-claims-warn-of-chilling-effect/

https://pluang.com/en/news-feed/openai-tolak-klaim-peneliti-dipecat-karena-peringatan-keamanan