Korbak and colleagues say abrupt firings chill OpenAI's open culture
Tomek KorbakFormer OpenAI safety researcher, METR technical contact and letter signatory
In their joint letter, Korbak and his colleagues criticize the abrupt dismissals and say they chill OpenAI's open culture.
Responding to
Tomek Korbak says communication with METR was his assigned job and that OpenAI provided no specific example or written explanation of the communication it cited when firing him.
“Terminations such as ours, executed and communicated so abruptly, are chilling the open culture OpenAI has prized in the past.”
Original post
Original text
Where this statement fits
Was OpenAI justified in firing three AI safety researchers?
OpenAI says it fired Tomek Korbak, Mikita Balesni and Jasmine Wang for mishandling sensitive information. The researchers dispute that account and say their work followed authorized duties and company norms. Their letter and individual accounts raise questions about the grounds for the dismissals and their effect on outside safety scrutiny.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Korbak describes what he says he was told during his dismissal and disputes the treatment of communication with outside investigators. He presents safety advocacy as his belief about the reason, rather than an independently established finding.
Original text
About this source
The three former employees dispute the grounds and handling of their dismissals. They also recommend continued outside safety scrutiny and clearer communication rules. The letter was publicly released on October 8; its text does not print a date.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The letter identifies Korbak, Balesni and Wang as the three fired employees. They say they followed company's working norms and worry that those norms are shifting.
After the quotation
The letter says fear and unclear rules could weaken AI safety work and third-party accountability.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The conduct under scrutiny is the dismissals and their handling. Korbak signed a letter criticizing their abrupt execution and chilling effect on safety work.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- OpenAI
More from this case
Read the full caseOpenAI says it found "a significant breach of trust" and stands by the dismissals
OpenAI
“Last week we parted ways with Jasmine, Mikita, and Tomek after a thorough investigation found they violated clear policies on handling sensitive information. Our internal investigation uncovered a significant breach of trust beyond what’s outlined in the letter they published and we stand by the decision to not continue their employment.”Read statement
Binder says the firings undermine confidence in transparency
“firing a good fraction of their safety researchers afterwards makes me skeptical they can be trusted to be transparent about risks and incidents”Read statement
Queen defends employer confidentiality rules
“You work for OpenAI. OpenAI decides what confidential information you can share with outside parties.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Korbak and colleagues say abrupt firings chill OpenAI's open culture
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5219-in-their-joint-letter-korbak-and-his-colleagues
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Korbak and colleagues say abrupt firings chill OpenAI's open culture". First published: 2026-10-08. Last updated: 2026-10-08. https://disputeindex.com/events/5219-in-their-joint-letter-korbak-and-his-colleagues