Fired OpenAI safety staff say colleagues are now afraid to speak.
Three safety researchers OpenAI dismissed published an open letter on Thursday denying any misconduct. OpenAI says they mishandled sensitive data while talking to the outside evaluator METR. The three say they shared no company property and warn of a chilling effect.
Why it mattersOutside evaluators only learn what a lab does because staff may talk to them. If that contact costs a job, independent checks on frontier models get thinner.
▶ Related video: Fired AI researchers write letter: Here's what you need to know
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