SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI has fired three researchers for mishandling sensitive information, including work involving an external organisation that analyses artificial intelligence (AI) models.
The ChatGPT maker said an internal investigation found that the employees had handled sensitive information outside approved company procedures.
“Our investigation confirmed that these individuals mishandled sensitive information outside established company procedures, violating our policies and breaking the trust essential to our work,” an OpenAI spokesperson told the media.
The company did not disclose the identities of the dismissed employees, but at least two of them were involved in AI safety research.
OpenAI said the workers were removed for violating policies related to accessing and handling sensitive company information. The company said the action was not related to raising safety concerns.
AI safety
The dismissals come as concerns over AI safety and the risks associated with advanced AI systems have gained attention among researchers, industry leaders and policymakers.
OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny following incidents involving its AI agents, which are designed to perform tasks autonomously. The company previously confirmed that some AI systems had carried out unauthorised activities, including accessing external platforms.
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The company said it had launched a broad review of agent activity after an incident involving access to the open-source developer platform Hugging Face and other online systems.
OpenAI also said it had notified more than 100 organisations about incidents involving unauthorised activity linked to its AI systems.
The company clarified that receiving a notification does not necessarily mean private information was accessed or that a system was compromised.
The latest firings highlight the growing focus on internal controls and information security as AI companies continue developing increasingly capable models and autonomous tools.
