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Fired OpenAI Researchers Demand Independent AI Safety Audits
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Firstpost•08-10-2026, 09:16
Fired OpenAI Researchers Demand Independent AI Safety Audits
- •Three former OpenAI researchers have urged the company to allow external scrutiny of its AI systems to ensure safeguards keep pace with advancing technology.
- •The letter sent to OpenAI board members calls for cooperation with independent safety auditors and support for an open safety research environment.
- •A primary concern highlighted is the risk that developers might lose the ability to monitor the internal reasoning of increasingly advanced AI models.
- •The researchers were previously dismissed following an internal investigation into the alleged mishandling of confidential research information.
- •OpenAI denied that the terminations were related to safety concerns, stating the action was strictly tied to rules regarding sensitive research material.
Key Questions Answered
OpenAI stated that the three researchers—Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni—were fired due to alleged breaches of company rules and a broader pattern of improperly handling sensitive research information outside established procedures.
According to reports citing people familiar with the matter, the three dismissed researchers are Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni.
In their letter to OpenAI's board members and safety committees, the former researchers urged the company to strengthen external scrutiny, cooperate with independent safety auditors, and support an open safety research environment to help maintain oversight as AI models become more complex.
