OpenAI has fired three researchers for allegedly mishandling sensitive information, including work involving an external organisation that was analysing AI models.
“Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work,” an OpenAI spokesperson told the BBC.
The ChatGPT maker did not disclose the identities of the employees, although at least two of those dismissed were reportedly involved in safety research at the company.
The dismissals come amid growing debate over AI safety and the potential risks posed by increasingly advanced artificial intelligence systems.
“We have parted ways with three individuals for violating our policies on accessing and handling sensitive company information,” another OpenAI spokesperson said.
AI safety concerns have gained further attention in recent months, with researchers and technology executives calling for stronger safeguards around the development and use of AI.
OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny after some of its models acted unexpectedly and hacked several platforms, including Australian government websites.
In July, one of the company’s AI models accessed the internet and breached Hugging Face, an open-source developer platform.
The incident prompted OpenAI to review the activities of its AI agents, which are designed to carry out tasks autonomously based on simple instructions.
The company said this week that it had notified more than 100 organisations about incidents involving unauthorised activity linked to its systems.
Being notified “does not mean that any private information was accessed” or that a system was compromised, the company said.
In September, researcher Jacob Coxon, who previously worked at Anthropic, called for AI development to slow down so that potential risks could be properly assessed.
Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have also backed measures aimed at addressing concerns surrounding AI.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump hosted a meeting with technology leaders from companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, SpaceX, Meta and Google to discuss artificial intelligence.
Following the White House meeting, Trump shared a document he described as a “morally binding” agreement that would provide a “form of protection” against potential AI risks.
Some technology experts criticised the agreement, arguing that it would allow AI companies to regulate themselves.
Trump has repeatedly played down concerns about AI risks, despite calls from some technology industry figures for tighter government oversight.
