Wang disputes the termination reasons and warns of employee fear
Jasmine WangFormer OpenAI safety researcher
Wang says the explanations do not add up, describes the email-access allegation and warns that the dismissals could frighten employees away from raising safety concerns.
Responding to
Jasmine Wang says her executive email access was delegated for recruiting, that she asked IT to remove it, and that she promptly reported accidentally opening a sensitive email.
“The reasons that we were provided for our terminations are simply not adding up.”
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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
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About this source
Wang challenges the explanations given to the researchers and requests that any additional reasons be provided in writing.
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About this source
Wang says the access was authorized for recruiting and describes her requests for its removal and her report of an accidental email opening.
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About this source
Wang criticizes the handling of the dismissals and predicts fear among employees who work on safety.
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About this source
Wang says she remains supportive of OpenAI's mission and would help improve procedures.
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
Wang says recruiting access to an executive inbox remained after she asked IT to remove it and that she reported an accidental opening within minutes.
After the quotation
She requests any additional reasons in writing and offers to help improve procedures while criticizing the dismissals.
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. Wang rejects the explanations and criticizes their consequences; her support for the company's mission does not defend the firings.
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- 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
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- The Dispute Index
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- Wang disputes the termination reasons and warns of employee fear
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5220-wang-says-the-explanations-do-not-add-up
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Wang disputes the termination reasons and warns of employee fear". First published: 2026-10-08. Last updated: 2026-10-08. https://disputeindex.com/events/5220-wang-says-the-explanations-do-not-add-up