OpenAI
Three fired OpenAI researchers deny leaking in open letter
The three named themselves and said they did not leak company information. OpenAI said its investigation found a breach of trust beyond the letter.
The three safety researchers OpenAI fired have named themselves and published an open letter denying they leaked company information. OpenAI said it stands by the firings. The dispute now turns on who may talk to outside safety groups and what counts as a policy breach.
Tomek Korbak, Jasmine Wang and Mikita Balesni published the letter on Oct. 8, 2026. It is addressed to OpenAI’s Safety and Security Committee, Safety Advisory Group and Mission Advisory Council. OpenAI said Oct. 1 that it dismissed three researchers for violating policies on handling sensitive information. The Wall Street Journal reported they allegedly shared confidential information with an outside AI safety organization.
The researchers say they did not leak
The three wrote that they were not the source of a leak to The Information about “supposed new, less monitorable architectures.” They wrote that they “acted in line with OpenAI’s mission and within the working norms of the time.”
The letter says Balesni worked “in coordination and discussion with board members and the C-suite.” It says Wang’s access to an executive’s email was delegated for recruiting and that IT failed to remove it when asked.
Balesni wrote on X, as quoted by the BBC: “I believe we were fired for prioritising safety over the near-term interests of OpenAI as a corporation.” Wang wrote, according to TechCrunch on Oct. 8, that the reasons are “not adding up.”
OpenAI says the breach went further
OpenAI said in a post on X on Oct. 9, as reported by The Verge and the BBC, that its investigation found “a significant breach of trust beyond what’s outlined in the letter they published.” A spokesperson told TechCrunch the three were fired for a “pattern of misconduct” in “clear violation of our policies of mishandling research information.” The Verge reported OpenAI did not provide details of the further breaches.
An internal memo attributed to a research leader, shared with TechCrunch on Oct. 8, said: “We do not terminate employees for raising concerns.” The memo said OpenAI agrees with the researchers’ recommendations.
The letter asks OpenAI to keep outside auditors
The researchers asked OpenAI to keep its commitment to embed third-party safety auditors. The letter cites Sam Altman’s Sept. 12 pledge of ongoing, employee-like access for independent evaluators. They also asked OpenAI to preserve monitorability, writing that “the monitorability of frontier models is degrading.”
The BBC reported OpenAI said it is finalizing contracts with third-party safety assessors and will announce details in the coming weeks.
Analysis
OpenAI and the researchers both say they want outside safety assessors. They disagree on whether these firings help or hurt that goal. We think the contracts OpenAI says are coming give the clearest test. If outside assessors get the access Altman described, the researchers’ worry will look smaller. The Verge reported that many AI company staff are calling for their companies to slow down. We think staff at other labs will notice how OpenAI treats colleagues who talk to outside groups.