Artificial Intelligence

Fired OpenAI Safety Researchers Dispute Dismissals in Letter

Three former OpenAI safety researchers have published an open letter addressing their recent dismissals, warning that company communications may create a chilling effect among remaining staff.

Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer

Published: October 10, 2026 · Updated: October 10, 2026 · 4 min read

Fired OpenAI Safety Researchers Dispute Dismissals in Letter — Image: Engadget

Open Letter Disputing Dismissals

Three former OpenAI safety researchers have released an open letter addressing their recent departures, pushing back against the circumstances surrounding their exits. The joint letter, published by Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni, and Tomek Korbak, argues that the public manner of the company's communications could create a chilling effect across the workforce at a critical time when global safety depends on rigorous internal and external collaboration.

The public statement follows an announcement from OpenAI regarding employee departures. The company previously dismissed three employees who allegedly shared information with an external AI safety organization, stating that the individuals violated internal policies regarding sensitive company information and broke essential trust.

In the face of recent serious and potentially illegal OpenAI agent hacks targeting Hugging Face and other organizations, the firing of safety employees raised awkward questions and caught the attention of lawmakers, intensifying public scrutiny on internal corporate governance and safety practices.

Workplace Culture and Safety Concerns

According to the joint letter, the authors noted that internal and external communications surrounding their firing have made former colleagues afraid to speak and operate in ways that were previously an integral part of working at OpenAI. Before these events, employees could raise safety concerns and disagree openly, and they were actively encouraged to draw on the expertise of independent safety organizations.

The researchers emphasized that this collaborative culture was part of what made OpenAI special and why they were immensely proud to be part of the team. They noted that they acted in line with the company's mission and within the working norms of the time, warning that the firings suggest internal norms are shifting and leaving employees unclear on where they stand.

Addressing Leak Rumors and Coordination

Addressing various industry rumors, Wang, Balesni, and Korbak clarified that they were not the source of a leak for a media report involving OpenAI's new, less monitorable architectures. They also stated that they do not believe they engaged with external parties outside their designated mandates.

Furthermore, the researchers maintained that their communication with external parties was conducted in coordination and discussion with board members and the C-suite. Wang also noted that she personally notified an executive when she accidentally clicked on a sensitive email during her tenure.

Image related to the report from Engadget · Source: Engadget

Recommendations for the Future

In closing, the former employees outlined several recommendations for OpenAI. They urged the company to adhere to its public commitments to embed third-party safety auditors and to ensure their firings are not used as a pretext for stepping away from those vital partnerships.

Additionally, they stressed that OpenAI must preserve the monitorability of frontier models and maintain an open, transparent culture of dialogue between its safety researchers and the broader safety ecosystem, ensuring that safety protocols remain robust and collaborative.

Leadership Response and Ongoing Industry Reactions

In a thread posted on social media, Jasmine Wang wrote that OpenAI leadership stated they strongly agree with the open letter, while simultaneously expressing deep concern regarding the company's actual level of openness. She noted that they were not the first to be pushed out under suspicious circumstances and warned that unless employees take a stand now, they may not be the last.

The situation continues to draw attention from industry observers and researchers. Additional statements and perspectives from the dismissed researchers have been shared across digital platforms, detailing the evolving relationship between technical safety teams and corporate leadership.

As discussions persist across the technology sector, former researchers and external stakeholders continue to evaluate the implications of these departures for future artificial intelligence development and safety research transparency.