OpenAI whistleblowers have prompted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate the company’s nondisclosure agreements, which reportedly restrict employee disclosures.
According to the Washington Post, the whistleblowers claim OpenAI‘s employment, severance, and nondisclosure agreements impose undue penalties on employees who discuss company matters with federal agencies.
The company allegedly compelled employees to forego their rights to whistleblower compensation and mandated prior approval for any disclosures to federal regulators. These agreements did not exempt disclosures of securities violations to the SEC, raising concerns over the legality of such restrictions.
Maintaining its standard policy, the SEC has neither confirmed nor denied receiving the whistleblower complaint. OpenAI has yet to comment on these allegations.
This controversy emerges as OpenAI continues to enhance its generative AI technologies, which have sparked safety debates due to their sophisticated capabilities. In response, OpenAI established a Safety and Security Committee in May, led by CEO Sam Altman and other board members, focusing on the ethical development of AI technologies.
