OpenAI Whistleblowers Call for SEC Investigation into Non-Disclosure Agreements

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI said in a statement that its policies protect employees' rights to make protected disclosures. The company also noted that it's already made changes to remove "nondisparagement terms" that could punish departing employees if they criticize the company after they leave. SEC didn't respond to a request for comment Monday and doesn't typically comment on whether or not it is opening an investigation.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK (AP) -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK (AP) -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's NDAs with employees

The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. US Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. US Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. ADVERTISEMENT "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI said in a statement that its policies protect employees' rights to make protected disclosures. The company also noted that it's already made changes to remove "nondisparagement terms" that could punish departing employees if they criticise the company after they leave. SEC didn't respond to a request for comment Monday and doesn't typically comment on whether or not it is opening an investigation.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate non-disclosure agreements with employees

OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees

NEW YORK (AP) -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

OpenAI whistleblowers request SEC investigation

NEW YORK (AP) -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. US Senator Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI said in a statement that its policies protect employees' rights to make protected disclosures. The company also noted that it's already made changes to remove "nondisparagement terms" that could punish departing employees if they criticise the company after they leave.

OpenAI Whistleblowers Ask SEC to Investigate the Company's Non-Disclosure Agreements With Employees

NEW YORK (AP) -- OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the ChatGPT maker illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology. A letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler representing "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers asks the agency to swiftly and aggressively enforce its rules against non-disclosure agreements that discourage employees or investors from raising concerns with regulators. The July 1 letter references a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC. The Washington Post was the first to report on the letter. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures," said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change." OpenAI and the SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate alleged restrictive non-disclosure agreements

OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, calling for an investigation over the artificial intelligence company's allegedly restrictive non-disclosure agreements, according to a letter seen by Reuters. "Given the well-documented potential risks posed by the irresponsible deployment of AI, we urge the Commissioners to immediately approve an investigation into OpenAI's prior NDAs, and to review current efforts apparently being undertaken by the company to ensure full compliance with SEC rules," according to the letter, which was provided to Reuters by the office of Sen. Chuck Grassley. The AI company allegedly made employees sign agreements that required them to waive their federal rights to whistleblower compensation, according to the letter. The whistleblowers requested the SEC to fine OpenAI for each improper agreement made to the extent the agency deemed appropriate. An SEC spokesperson said in an emailed statement that it does not comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible whistleblower submission. OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for a comment on the letter. "Artificial intelligence is rapidly and dramatically altering the landscape of technology as we know it," said Sen. Grassley, whose office said the letter was provided by the whistleblowers. He added that "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures." The news was first reported by the Washington Post. The whistleblowers alleged that OpenAI issued overly restrictive employment, severance and non-disclosure agreements to its employees, which could have led to penalties against workers who raised concerns about OpenAI to federal authorities. The letter also says OpenAI required employees get prior consent from the company if they wanted to disclose information to federal regulators, adding that OpenAI did not create exemptions in the employee non-disparagement clauses for disclosing securities violations to the SEC. The letter also asked the SEC to require OpenAI to produce every contract that contained a non-disclosure agreement, including employment agreements, severance agreements and investor agreements for inspection. OpenAI's chatbots with generative AI capabilities, such as engaging in human-like conversations and creating images based on text prompts, have stirred safety concerns as AI models become powerful. OpenAI in May formed a Safety and Security Committee that will be led by board members, including CEO Sam Altman, as it begins training its next artificial intelligence model. (Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; editing by Franklin Paul and Diane Craft)

OpenAI update: Whistleblowers ask US regulator to examine the ChatGPT maker's NDAs with employees | Mint

OpenAI whistleblower update: The whistleblowers from artificial intelligence major OpenAI, have in a letter to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), asked the regulator to examine the company's contracts with employees, AP reported. In a letter to US SEC Chair Gary Gensler, whistleblowers asked the regulator to whether the ChatGPT maker has illegally restricted workers via non-disclosure agreements from speaking out about the risks of its AI technology. The letter was sent to Gensler on July 1 by "one or more anonymous and confidential" whistleblowers. It asked the SEC to "swifty and aggresively" enforce rules against NDAs that discourage employees from raising concerns with agencies. It also reference a formal whistleblower complaint recently filed with the SEC, which was first reported by The Washington Post. "OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures. In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change," Grassley said, in a written statement. On its part, OpenAI has in a statement said it protects employees' rights to make disclosures as per the law, and added that it has already moved to make changes to remove terms from contracts that suggest punishment on employees for "disparagement terms" after they leave the company. The US SEC did not respond to queries, AP report added.

OpenAI whistleblowers call on SEC to investigate the AI company

Whistleblowers say they were prohibited from speaking out about safety risks at OpenAI. OpenAI whistleblowers are calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to open a probe into the AI giant. In a letter from the whistleblowers obtained by the Washington Post, the whistleblowers allege that OpenAI broke federal laws by prohibiting them from speaking out about safety issues concerning the technology. The letter shares even more about OpenAI's startling lack of transparency. The company has been scrutinized over the past year by critics, as well as former executives, who have called for greater government regulation over the company and the AI industry as a whole. The OpenAI whistleblowers letter Obtained by the Washington Post, the seven-page letter alleged that OpenAI threatened employees for taking part in legally protected whistleblower actions. According to the letter, OpenAI forced employee agreements on its workers, requiring staff to inform the company if they wanted to speak to federal authorities as a whistleblower. In addition, if an OpenAI employee chose to go this route, the company required that they "waive their federal rights" to any whistleblower compensation entitled to them. Government agencies often reward whistleblowers with financial compensation. For example, the IRS and the SEC both offer a double digit percentage of whatever money is collected by the agencies as a result of the information provided by the whistleblower. OpenAI's employee agreement stipulated that employees could not collect such compensation. While perhaps one can see OpenAI's concerns regarding the protection of its proprietary technology, the letter goes on to share that OpenAI's employee agreement didn't even provide exemptions regarding whistleblower disclosures to the SEC for securities violations. The whistleblowers' letter comes just months after it was revealed that OpenAI threatened former employees with the potential loss of millions of dollars if they spoke out against the company. Previously, when an OpenAI employee was exiting the company, they were provided with nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreements. OpenAI stipulated that those employees would "lose all vested equity they earned during their time at the company" if they did not sign the documents. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed these reports, he said that the company did not enforce it and would be removing these stipulations from the documentation. However, these latest revelations in the whistleblower letter shows that the exit paperwork issue was not a one-off for the AI company.

OpenAI whistleblowers call on SEC to investigate the AI company

OpenAI whistleblowers are calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to open a probe into the AI giant. In a letter from the whistleblowers obtained by the Washington Post, the whistleblowers allege that OpenAI broke federal laws by prohibiting them from speaking out about safety issues concerning the technology. The letter shares even more about OpenAI's startling lack of transparency. The company has been scrutinized over the past year by critics, as well as former executives, who have called for greater government regulation over the company and the AI industry as a whole. Obtained by the Washington Post, the seven-page letter alleged that OpenAI threatened employees for taking part in legally protected whistleblower actions. According to the letter, OpenAI forced employee agreements on its workers, requiring staff to inform the company if they wanted to speak to federal authorities as a whistleblower. In addition, if an OpenAI employee chose to go this route, the company required that they "waive their federal rights" to any whistleblower compensation entitled to them. Government agencies often reward whistleblowers with financial compensation. For example, the IRS and the SEC both offer a double digit percentage of whatever money is collected by the agencies as a result of the information provided by the whistleblower. OpenAI's employee agreement stipulated that employees could not collect such compensation. While perhaps one can see OpenAI's concerns regarding the protection of its proprietary technology, the letter goes on to share that OpenAI's employee agreement didn't even provide exemptions regarding whistleblower disclosures to the SEC for securities violations. The whistleblowers' letter comes just months after it was revealed that OpenAI threatened former employees with the potential loss of millions of dollars if they spoke out against the company. Previously, when an OpenAI employee was exiting the company, they were provided with nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreements. OpenAI stipulated that those employees would "lose all vested equity they earned during their time at the company" if they did not sign the documents. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed these reports, he said that the company did not enforce it and would be removing these stipulations from the documentation. However, these latest revelations in the whistleblower letter shows that the exit paperwork issue was not a one-off for the AI company.

OpenAI whistleblowers call on SEC to investigate the AI company

Whistleblowers say they were prohibited from speaking out about safety risks at OpenAI. OpenAI whistleblowers are calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to open a probe into the AI giant. In a letter from the whistleblowers obtained by the Washington Post, the whistleblowers allege that OpenAI broke federal laws by prohibiting them from speaking out about safety issues concerning the technology. The letter shares even more about OpenAI's startling lack of transparency. The company has been scrutinized over the past year by critics, as well as former executives, who have called for greater government regulation over the company and the AI industry as a whole. The OpenAI whistleblowers letter Obtained by the Washington Post, the seven-page letter alleged that OpenAI threatened employees for taking part in legally protected whistleblower actions. According to the letter, OpenAI forced employee agreements on its workers, requiring staff to inform the company if they wanted to speak to federal authorities as a whistleblower. In addition, if an OpenAI employee chose to go this route, the company required that they "waive their federal rights" to any whistleblower compensation entitled to them. Government agencies often reward whistleblowers with financial compensation. For example, the IRS and the SEC both offer a double digit percentage of whatever money is collected by the agencies as a result of the information provided by the whistleblower. OpenAI's employee agreement stipulated that employees could not collect such compensation. While perhaps one can see OpenAI's concerns regarding the protection of its proprietary technology, the letter goes on to share that OpenAI's employee agreement didn't even provide exemptions regarding whistleblower disclosures to the SEC for securities violations. The whistleblowers' letter comes just months after it was revealed that OpenAI threatened former employees with the potential loss of millions of dollars if they spoke out against the company. Previously, when an OpenAI employee was exiting the company, they were provided with nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreements. OpenAI stipulated that those employees would "lose all vested equity they earned during their time at the company" if they did not sign the documents. While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed these reports, he said that the company did not enforce it and would be removing these stipulations from the documentation. However, these latest revelations in the whistleblower letter shows that the exit paperwork issue was not a one-off for the AI company.

OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to examine firm's agreements with employees

US Senator Chuck Grassley's office shared a copy of the letter with The Associated Press, noting it was provided to his office by legally protected whistleblowers. OpenAI's policies and practices appear to cast a chilling effect on whistleblowers' right to speak up and receive due compensation for their protected disclosures, said Grassley, an Iowa Republican, in a written statement. "In order for the federal government to stay one step ahead of artificial intelligence, OpenAI's nondisclosure agreements must change.

Sam Altman's OpenAI illegally prevented whistleblowing: It happens a lot in Silicon Valley

Also Read: Jensen Huang's Nvidia could be worth more than current S&P 500 index value in ten years: Report The SEC had established a whistleblower program due to the 2008 financial crisis to increase transparency and therefore, protect the economy. The allegations include OpenAI making its employees sign agreements which require them to waive their federal rights to whistleblower compensation, as well as a mandate to seek permission from the company before disclosing information to federal authorities. This is a direct violation of the law, the report read. Also Read: Bitcoin hits $60,000 and other cryptocurrencies gain as Trump shooting boosts his re-election odds The agreements threatened the employees with legal action for reporting violations without recognising their right to report such information to the government. "Our whistleblower policy protects employees' rights to make protected disclosures. Additionally, we believe rigorous debate about this technology is essential and have already made important changes to our departure process to remove nondisparagement terms," OpenAI spokesperson Hannah Wong said in a response statement, according to the report. The release of OpenAI's latest AI model for ChatGPT was rushed and employees expressed concerns that the company "failed" to live up to its own security testing protocol to protect the AI from issues like teaching users to build bioweapons or helping hackers develop new kinds of cyberattacks, according to the report. This is not an issue with OpenAI alone. Fighting against Silicon Valley companies using such types of agreements has been a long battle, the Washington Post quoted Chris Baker, a San Francisco lawyer as saying. He won a $27 million settlement for Google employees who made similar allegations of the tech giant blocking whistleblowers through similar means. Also Read: Zomato's Deepinder Goyal becomes a billionaire after Zomato rally due to Blinkit's growth This was also seen with other companies with employees filing complaints with the SEC, with an example being Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. OpenAI in May, had formed a Safety and Security Committee led by board members including CEO Sam Altman, as it begins training its next AI model, according to a Reuters report which added that OpenAI's chatbots having generative AI capabilities have caused safety concerns.