A group of anonymous whistleblowers has reportedly filed a complaint against the AI company OpenAI, alleging that the company used illegal non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to prevent former employees from warning regulators about the risks of AI technology.
According to documents obtained by the Washington Post from Senator Chuck Grassley’s office, the complaint was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in June. The whistleblowers claim that OpenAI used restrictive NDAs to silence former employees, potentially violating whistleblower protection laws.
“These contracts sent a message that ‘we don’t want employees talking to federal regulators,’” said one of the whistleblowers
U.S. Senator Grassley commented that OpenAI’s policies seem to discourage whistleblowers from speaking up. He stressed that OpenAI’s NDAs need to change.
The complaint, addressed to SEC Chairman Gary Gensler, calls for swift and strong action to enforce whistleblower laws and follow President Biden’s executive order on creating safe and trustworthy AI systems.
In response, OpenAI spokesperson Hannah Wong stated that the company’s whistleblower policy protects employees’ rights to report issues. She also mentioned recent updates to OpenAI’s exit process, including removing non-disparagement terms.
This situation arises as OpenAI faces several lawsuits over alleged copyright violations related to training its ChatGPT system.
Despite these issues, the company continues to form new partnerships and is reportedly working on its next AI model, possibly named “Strawberry“.
Also Read: Ex OpenAI Employee Resigns to Avoid “Working for the Titanic of AI”
