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Scientific Research

Public disputes concerning scientific research, research methods, authorship, credit, collaboration, publication, and research conduct.

Related cases

Case

Did OpenAI improperly pressure mathematicians over authorship and credit?

Tristan Buckmaster describes pressure over authorship and publication during discussions about competing AI-assisted mathematics results. Sébastien Bubeck disputes that characterization and says the proposed authorship concerned OpenAI's own proof. His apology for career-related wording does not settle the disagreement. Researchers and commentators divide over whether the negotiations were appropriate, while raising a separate dispute about the treatment of unpublished user research.

Statements

Sam Altman

Role at the time: OpenAI leader who says he spent the weekend speaking with the team

Defended or excused

Responding to

OpenAI improperly pressured the researchers over authorship and publication of the mathematical results.

"acted with integrity and generosity throughout"
Why we used this label

Explicit interested defense of the company's intentions and actions.

Will Depue

Role at the time: Personal response citing prior work with Bubeck

Defended or excused

Responding to

OpenAI improperly pressured the researchers over authorship and publication of the mathematical results.

"extraordinary allegations require extraordinary evidence"
Why we used this label

A provisional defense, not a claim to have witnessed the disputed calls.

Noam Brown

Role at the time: OpenAI research collaborator, speaking on his own account

Defended or excused

Responding to

OpenAI improperly pressured the researchers over authorship and publication of the mathematical results.

"Seb is a really sweet guy with great intentions"
Why we used this label

Character-and-intentions defense only; it does not independently rebut each allegation.

People with useful coverage

Andreas Thom

Andreas Thom is a mathematician at Technische Universität Dresden. His research spans geometric group theory, real algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, ergodic theory, and operator algebras. He also participates in public discussions about mathematical research and scientific practice.

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Peter Woit

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Andreas Kirsch

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Sébastien Bubeck

AI researcher at OpenAI and former vice president of AI and distinguished scientist at Microsoft.

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Co-founder and chief executive of OpenAI, and former president of the startup accelerator Y Combinator.

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Associate professor of genetics and computer science at Stanford University.

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