OpenAI Whistleblowers Warn of AI’s Risk to Humanity

In a major turn of events, OpenAI whistleblowers are alleging that the company illegally prevented employees from alerting government regulators about the potential risks posed by its technology to all people of the world. As a result, they have decided to file a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in order to change things.

The complaint asserts that OpenAI’s restrictive employment, severance, and nondisclosure agreements dissuaded employees from bringing their warranted thoughts and opinions of OpenAI to federal authorities. Furthermore, the whistleblowers explained how this type of fearful environment jeopardizes the safety and transparency of developing AI technology.

As reported by the Washington Post, “The whistleblowers said OpenAI issued its employees overly restrictive employment, severance and nondisclosure agreements that could have led to penalties against workers who raised concerns about OpenAI to federal regulators, according to a seven-page letter sent to the SEC commissioner earlier this month that referred to the formal complaint. The letter was obtained exclusively by The Washington Post.”

The SEC has acknowledged the complaint, but it’s unclear if an investigation has been initiated. The whistleblowers call for an end to these agreements, fines for OpenAI, and notification to all employees about their rights to report violations confidentially.

Following these allegations, the U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley also responded. “Artificial intelligence is rapidly and dramatically altering the landscape of technology as we know it,” he told Reuters. “OpenAI’s policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers’ right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures.”

Furthermore, The Guardian shared how the letter “urged the SEC to take four actions: to make OpenAI produce every NDA it has issued and ensure none of the signatories have had their rights affected; remind past and present OpenAI employees that they have the right to whistleblow; fine OpenAI for each improper NDA; and to order OpenAI to correct the ‘chilling effect’ of its past practices.”