Former OpenAI Staff Claim Company Used Illegal NDAs

Oooo... spooky! What do the former OpenAI staff desperately want to tell us?

Whistleblowers have accused OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, of using illegal non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevented employees from speaking out about safety risks related to their AI technology.

Here is the scoop:

The whistleblowers sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) asking for an investigation into OpenAI's practices.

They claim OpenAI made employees sign overly restrictive contracts that:

• Required approval before sharing information with federal regulators
• Did not exempt disclosures about securities violations to the SEC
• Forced employees to give up their rights to whistleblower rewards

These practices allegedly violate SEC regulations designed to protect employees' ability to report concerns to authorities without fear of retaliation.

The whistleblowers are calling for penalties against OpenAI for each improper agreement signed.

OpenAI has stated that their policy protects employees' rights to make protected disclosures and that they have made significant changes to their exit documents.

Senator Chuck Grassley expressed concern about these policies potentially deterring whistleblowers from coming forward.

This complaint follows a previous one filed with the SEC in June, indicating ongoing scrutiny of OpenAI's practices.

The whistleblowers argue that enforcing these regulations is crucial, not to hinder AI progress, but to send a clear message to the tech industry that violating employees' or investors' rights to report misconduct will not be tolerated.

Sources, more detailed coverage

Reuters: Whistleblowers accuse OpenAI of 'illegally restrictive' NDAs

The Washington Post: OpenAI whistleblowers allege company uses illegal NDAs to silence employees

CNBC: OpenAI accused of using illegal NDAs to silence employees on AI risks

TechCrunch: OpenAI faces SEC complaint over allegedly illegal NDAs

The Verge: OpenAI whistleblowers file SEC complaint over 'illegally restrictive' NDAs