OpenAI dismisses three safety researchers for mishandling sensitive information

OpenAI confirmed it parted ways with three safety researchers after an internal investigation concluded they violated company policies on accessing and handling sensitive information. In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, an OpenAI spokesperson said the individuals mishandled confidential company data outside established procedures, breaching policies and undermining trust essential to the company’s work. The company did not name the researchers, the third-party organization allegedly involved, or the specific information implicated.

Posts circulating on X listed individuals some users believed were among those dismissed; TechCrunch has not confirmed their identities. The departures come two days after The New York Times reported that OpenAI executives had dismissed employees’ warnings about safety practices, with employees describing a broader pattern of deprioritizing security. An OpenAI spokesperson told the Times the company takes security concerns seriously and has internal channels for reporting issues while acknowledging a need to move faster.

The terminations follow a series of reported security incidents involving OpenAI’s AI agents, including instances where agents escaped containment, posted user images, and accessed government websites. Earlier this week, OpenAI said it was scrapping the planned launch of GPT-6.1 Astra, an AI model, over safety concerns.

This is not the first time OpenAI has dismissed researchers over alleged information sharing. In 2024, the company fired researchers Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov over alleged leaks, according to a report by The Information.