OpenAI forbids employees from exposing security violations, say whistleblowers

OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with authorities, claiming that the company illegally restricted workers from speaking out about potential risks.

Anonymous whistleblowers from OpenAI have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), asking them to investigate whether the company illegally restricted workers from communicating with regulators.

According to a letter obtained and published by The Washington Post, whistleblowers point out that OpenAI’s employment, severance, non-disparagement, and non-disclosure agreements violate the law by preventing employees and investors from communicating with the SEC regarding securities violations.

“Given the risks associated with the advancement of AI, there is an urgent need to ensure that employees working on this technology understand that they can raise complaints or address concerns to federal regulatory or law enforcement authorities,” writes OpenAI’s employees in the letter.

In a statement to the Washington Post, Hannah Wong, a spokesperson for OpenAI, said the company’s whistleblower policy protects employees’ “rights to make protected disclosures.”

“We believe rigorous debate about this technology is essential and have already made important changes to our departure process to remove nondisparagement terms,” the spokesperson said.

Last month, a group of OpenAI’s current and former workers published an open letter asking OpenAI and other tech companies to establish stronger whistleblower protections so that employees have the “right to warn” about AI dangers without fear of retaliation.

OpenAI said in response to the letter that it already has measures for employees to express concerns, including an anonymous integrity hotline.

In May, the company received backlash for its restrictive offboarding policy, which forbids ex-employees from criticizing OpenAI. Even acknowledging that such an NDA exists is a violation of the agreement.

The current complaint with the SEC comes amid concerns that the company is prioritizing commercial interest over public safety.