Fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute misconduct claims, warn of chilling effect

Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni, three safety researchers fired by OpenAI, have published an open letter. They deny claims of mishandling sensitive information and warn that their dismissal will have a chilling effect on the company's culture. The researchers expressed concern that internal and external communications about their firing have made former colleagues afraid to speak, which was previously an integral part of working at OpenAI.

This report provides the former researchers' direct rebuttal to OpenAI's claims, unlike other accounts that only cover the company's initial statements.