Aschenbrenner also revealed that he was reprimanded for sharing a document on "preparedness, safety, and security measures" with external researchers, which OpenAI claimed contained sensitive information. Aschenbrenner denies this, stating that the document had been stripped of sensitive data and that the information it contained was already publicly available. He suggests that OpenAI was looking for a reason to fire him. OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment.
Key takeaways:
- Leopold Aschenbrenner, a former OpenAI safety researcher, claims he was fired for raising security concerns to the company’s board and sharing a document that OpenAI alleged contained sensitive information.
- Aschenbrenner denies the document contained sensitive information and asserts that the planning timeline mentioned in it was publicly available information.
- Aschenbrenner suggests that OpenAI was looking for a reason to fire him, as he was one of the few employees who did not sign a letter calling for Sam Altman’s return after the board fired him.
- A group of current and former OpenAI employees have called for stronger whistleblower protections, expressing fear of "retaliation" for raising concerns.