OpenAI says it found "a significant breach of trust" and stands by the dismissals
OpenAIOpenAI, in a note from its research leaders posted by the OpenAI Newsroom account on X
In a note from its research leaders posted on X, OpenAI said a thorough investigation found that Jasmine Wang, Mikita Balesni and Tomek Korbak violated clear policies on handling sensitive information, that it uncovered a significant breach of trust beyond what their letter describes, and that it stands by the decision. The note said the dismissals were not about raising safety concerns, that OpenAI is finalizing contracts with third-party safety assessors, and that it agrees preserving the monitorability of frontier models requires an industry-wide commitment.
Responding to
OpenAI says its investigation confirmed that the three employees mishandled sensitive information outside company procedures and violated its policies.
“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.”
Original post
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
OpenAI's official newsroom account on X, which introduces the text as a note from the company's research leaders.
Before the quotation
OpenAI's newsroom account posted the note on October 9, introducing it as "A note from our research leaders" and addressing the letter the three researchers published. On October 7 a company spokesperson had shared part of an internal memo from a research leader with The Wall Street Journal.
After the quotation
The note repeats that the decisions were not about raising safety concerns or speaking out. It says OpenAI is finalizing contracts with third-party safety assessors and agrees with the letter that preserving the monitorability of frontier models requires an industry-wide commitment. It says the company generally keeps individual employment matters private and does not believe a back and forth would be productive.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether OpenAI was justified in dismissing the three researchers. The note says an investigation found they "violated clear policies on handling sensitive information" and cites "a significant breach of trust beyond what's outlined in the letter" as grounds, and says OpenAI stands by the decision. That defends the dismissals, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Denied, which would fit a statement that only rejects the safety-retaliation account; this note also asserts grounds for the decision.
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- OpenAI says it found "a significant breach of trust" and stands by the dismissals
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/5285-in-a-note-from-its-research-leaders-posted
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "OpenAI says it found "a significant breach of trust" and stands by the dismissals". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5285-in-a-note-from-its-research-leaders-posted