OpenAI Upholds Dismissal of Three Security Researchers

OpenAI confirms the dismissal of three security specialists, citing violations of sensitive information management rules. The affected researchers claim they were penalized for expressing security concerns, as the protection of advanced systems becomes a major issue in the industry.

Growing Concerns After High-Profile Incidents

The security of advanced AI systems is attracting increasing attention within companies, particularly after several high-profile incidents this year, including the hacking of OpenAI on the Hugging Face platform. In this context, many employees are calling for a slowdown in development and for enhanced protective measures against potential risks associated with the creation of self-improving systems.

OpenAI Cites Violations of Internal Policies

OpenAI maintains its decision to dismiss three security researchers following an internal investigation that concluded there was a "significant breach of trust." In a message posted on Friday on X, the company specifies that Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni are involved, and that their termination follows infractions of clear policies regarding the management of sensitive information. OpenAI emphasizes that this decision is not related to the concerns raised by the trio regarding AI security. The company also states that the investigation revealed violations "beyond what is mentioned in the researchers' letter," without providing further details.

Researchers Contest the Reason and Demand Transparency

OpenAI's communication comes after the publication on Thursday of an open letter signed by Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni. The researchers are calling for more transparency regarding the dismissal decision and assert that they believe they were fired for raising security concerns. They state that they "acted in accordance with OpenAI's mission and the work standards of the time." Their position has also been shared on social media.