OpenAI has reportedly parted ways with three researchers from its safety team. The dismissals follow an internal investigation which concluded the individuals allegedly shared confidential company information with an external AI safety organisation, according to The Wall Street Journal.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed to the Journal that the company had “parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information.” The spokesperson added that the investigation confirmed the individuals “mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work.”
The report did not identify the researchers, the third-party organisation, or the specific information involved in the alleged mishandling. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TechCrunch.
These departures occur two days after The New York Times reported that OpenAI executives had reportedly disregarded employee warnings regarding safety practices. Earlier this week, OpenAI also announced it was cancelling the planned launch of its GPT-6.1 Astra AI model due to safety concerns.