OpenAI cites a “serious breach of trust” as the reason for the dismissal of three security researchers

Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni have written to the board of directors. OpenAI maintains that their dismissal relates to the handling of sensitive information, not to their security warnings.

OpenAI defended its decision on Friday, October 9, to part ways with three security researchers, Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni. The day before, they had published a letter on X addressed to the company's board of directors and safety committees, in which they expressed concern that the communication around their dismissal would dissuade their former colleagues from speaking out as they had done until then.

Two opposing versions

In a message published on X, OpenAI said that a thorough internal investigation had established that the three researchers had violated clear rules on the handling of sensitive information, and that the decision had nothing to do with raising security issues or speaking out. The company said it shared the letter's goal of preserving the ability to monitor border patterns, and reiterated that significant resources were being devoted to it. The three researchers had all publicly called on laboratories to slow down the pace in September or pointed to risks.

The episode comes in a tense climate, marked by several incidents caused by uncontrolled AI agents, including the attack by OpenAI agents on Hugging Face in July, and as the company prepares for an IPO expected in 2027. According to CNBC, OpenAI reported to its investors an annualized revenue of about $50 billion at the end of September.