Three safety researchers fired by OpenAI last week have published an open letter denying the company's claims that they mishandled sensitive information, and warned that their dismissals are creating a chilling effect across the organization's safety culture.
Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni wrote to OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee and Safety Advisory Board, disputing allegations that they violated company procedures. The researchers argue that their firing signals a broader shift at OpenAI, one where internal safety concerns are increasingly treated as obstacles rather than essential guardrails.
"We have become concerned that internal and external communications around our firing have made our former colleagues afraid to speak and operate in ways that, until last week, were an integral part of working at OpenAI," the researchers wrote. They described a culture where safety researchers previously had latitude to raise concerns through both internal and external channels, a practice they say is now under threat.
The dismissals come at a sensitive moment for OpenAI. The company has been scaling its model capabilities rapidly while facing growing scrutiny over whether its safety research receives adequate resources and institutional authority. The open letter adds to a pattern of public tension between OpenAI and members of its own safety team.
OpenAI has not responded directly to the letter. The company previously stated that the researchers were terminated for cause, related to mishandling of sensitive information outside established procedures. The researchers dispute this characterization, arguing their work was conducted within accepted norms for safety research.
The incident raises broader questions about how AI companies balance rapid capability development with meaningful safety oversight, and whether internal whistleblowing channels remain functional as the industry scales.
