Fired OpenAI Researchers Deny Misconduct in Open Letter
Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni deny leaking information to The Information and say the firing will chill OpenAI's safety culture.
Three researchers fired by OpenAI last week published an open letter on Thursday denying the company's claims that they mishandled sensitive information outside established procedures. Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni also denied involvement in a leak to The Information about less monitorable architectures in OpenAI's newest models, and denied engaging with external parties beyond their job mandates, according to the letter.
OpenAI told TechCrunch the three were fired after an investigation revealed a pattern of misconduct in clear violation of policies on mishandling research information. The company also shared an internal memo attributed to a research leader denying the researchers were fired in retaliation.
In the letter, the researchers said the Hugging Face incident and the investigation that followed were without precedent, meaning internal policies were being developed in real time. They added that Balesni coordinated with and was supported by OpenAI board members and executives throughout his work.
Quick answers
Who are the three fired OpenAI researchers?
Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni.
Why did OpenAI fire the researchers?
OpenAI said an investigation revealed a pattern of misconduct in clear violation of policies on mishandling research information.
What did the open letter say about the firing?
The three denied mishandling sensitive information, denied leaking to The Information and denied engaging with external parties outside their job mandates.