GoKawiilFired OpenAI researchers publish letter challenging their dismissals
Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni and Tomek Korbak, three OpenAI safety researchers dismissed last week for allegedly sharing sensitive company information with an external AI safety organization, have published an open letter disputing the firings. They say they acted within OpenAI's mission and existing norms, deny being the source of a recent report on OpenAI's architecture, and state their external contacts were coordinated with board members and executives.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The dispute surfaces tension between OpenAI's internal confidentiality policies and its stated openness to safety-related dissent, which the researchers argue could discourage employees from raising concerns at a sensitive moment for the company. Their letter, combined with recent reports of security incidents involving OpenAI agents, suggests the firings may draw further scrutiny from lawmakers already watching the company's safety practices.
- Three dismissed OpenAI safety researchers published a joint open letter disputing their firings.
- They deny being the leak source for a report on OpenAI's new architecture and say external contacts were coordinated with leadership.
- The episode has drawn lawmaker attention amid separate reports of security issues involving OpenAI's agents.
Source: engadget.com — Steve Dent, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “Fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute their dismissals in open letter”
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