OpenAI Researchers, Including Ally of Sutskever, Fired for Alleged Leaking

OpenAI has fired two researchers for allegedly leaking information, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. They include Leopold Aschenbrenner, a researcher on a team dedicated to keeping artificial intelligence safe for society. Aschenbrenner was also an ally of OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who participated in a failed effort to force out OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last fall.

It’s not clear what information the two fired staffers leaked. The other staffer—Pavel Izmailov, a researcher who worked on reasoning—had also spent time on the safety team. The ouster of the two men is among the first staffing changes that have surfaced publicly since OpenAI CEO Sam Altman resumed his board seat in March. That followed an investigation led by OpenAI’s nonprofit board, which exonerated him for actions leading up to his short-lived firing last November.