Whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), accusing OpenAI of unlawfully restricting employees’ reporting of safety concerns.

OpenAI Accused of Illegally Muzzling Employee Concerns

In a whistleblower’s letter, OpenAI is alleged to have given employees, severance, and nondisclosure agreements that are overly oppressive.

These agreements supposedly contained provisions that could lead to consequences if employees complained about OpenAI to the federal regulators.

The letter addressed to the SEC commissioner, was sent earlier this month, stated that OpenAI forced its employees to relinquish their federal rights to whistleblower rewards and to obtain permission from the company before reporting information to federal regulators.

Violation of Federal Whistleblower Protections

The whistleblowers noted that the agreements violated the federal laws that are meant to shield persons who may wish to report corporate fraud and other related vices without revealing their identities, and without fear of being fired. 

In addition, another whistleblower, who chose to remain unnamed, highlighted the potential negative impact of such contracts on the employees’ willingness to report the risks of AI technology.

OpenAI spokesperson Hannah Wong said,

“Our whistleblower policy allows employees to make protected disclosures, and we think it is critical to have a serious discussion about this technology; as a result, we have adjusted our departure policies to eliminate nondisparagement clauses.”

Growing Concerns Over AI Safety

The concern was voiced against the backdrop of the transformations OpenAI has gone through in recent years, specifically, concerns regarding the organization’s shift from a nonprofit with the primary focus on people’s well-being to a company that prioritizes profit over safety. Moreover, there are claims that OpenAI released the new model of its AI without following the required safety measures, and this was done hastily.

Subsequently, this has led to concerns about the negative impact of AI, including its use in developing biological weapons or cyber attacks.

Senator Chuck Grassley said,

“OpenAI’s policies and practices seem to deter whistleblowers from reporting and receiving proper remuneration for their protected disclosures.”

Grassley highlighted the role of whistleblowers in assisting the federal government in mitigating risks associated with AI.

Sam Altman’s Stance

According to Coingape, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had provided clarification on exit agreements in May amid increasing scrutiny.

This comes as several employees resigned from the company, including Jan Leike, who claimed that the company was shifting from AI safety to product development. 

OpenAI CEO clarified that a clause in previous exit papers concerning possible equity cancellation was a mistake. In addition, he said that OpenAI has never imposed this clause and reiterated that the vested equity is safe even in case of termination of this agreement.

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