OpenAI fires key researchers for allegedly leaking information

OpenAI firing

OpenAI, the AI research firm responsible for creating popular generative AI chatbot ChatGPT,  has reportedly fired two researchers. According to a report by The Information,  the two researchers — Leopold Aschenbrenner and Pavel Izmailov — were asked to leave following an undisclosed internal investigation. As per the report, Aschenbrenner, as per the report was seen as a rising star on the OpenAI safety team and a close ally of OpenAI's chief scientist Ilya Sutskever. There's no word from OpenAI on what information was leaked by the two researchers.

Last November, it was reported that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, was sacked by the board. However, drama unfolded in the next few days. Sutskever, who reportedly led the push to oust Altman, later expressed regret at how the whole situation was handled.

There was a backlash from employees who threatened mass exodus from the company if Sutskever and other board members responsible for Altman's firing did not step down.

The report by the Information states that Aschenbrenner, a graduate of Columbia University at 19, was a vocal advocate for safe AI development. In his previous role, he worked with Future Fund, a philanthropic organisation affiliated to effective altruism movement. As per the report, the movement gives priority to existential threats like advanced AI over short-term gains.

The other researcher who has been fired also worked on OpenAI’s safety team. He later moved to the reasoning research team at OpenAI.

These are the first major personnel changes since Altman joined the OpenAI board in March 2024. The report says that an internal investigation — commissioned by OpenAI board — had cleared Altman of any wrongdoing before he was briefly removed from his position as CEO.

There have been reports about internal strife and disagreements within OpenAI related to the rapid pace of development of AI and the safety issues that may crop.

Also read: OpenAI, Meta to roll out AI models capable of ‘reasoning’

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