OpenAI has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling sensitive information, including work involving an external organisation analysing the company’s artificial intelligence models.
The ChatGPT maker says the three employees violated its policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information.
OpenAI did not identify the researchers, but at least two of them were involved in AI safety research.
The dismissals come amid growing debate over AI safety and the potential risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems.
OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny over incidents involving its AI models, including reports of systems carrying out unauthorised activities on external platforms.
The company said this week that it had notified more than 100 organisations about incidents involving unauthorised activity linked to its systems, while stressing that notification did not necessarily mean private information had been accessed or that a system had been compromised.
Concerns about AI safety have also prompted calls from researchers and technology executives for stronger safeguards and oversight.
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei have both discussed measures to address risks associated with AI development.
The issue was also raised at a White House meeting this week involving US President Donald Trump and executives from major technology companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, SpaceX, Meta and Google.
Trump later shared a document describing a voluntary agreement intended to address potential AI risks, although some technology experts criticised the proposal, arguing that it relied heavily on industry self-regulation.
