OpenAI terminated three safety researchers for sharing confidential company information with an outside AI safety organization, according to the Wall Street Journal. The firings follow recent reports of the company deprioritizing safety concerns and a series of security incidents involving its AI agents.

• OpenAI confirmed an internal investigation found the three researchers mishandled sensitive information outside established procedures, though the specific details, identities, and recipient organization remain undisclosed.
• The departures come after a New York Times report that OpenAI executives dismissed employee warnings about safety practices, with staff describing a pattern of the company prioritizing speed over security.
• OpenAI has scrapped the planned launch of GPT-6.1 Astra over safety concerns and is dealing with multiple security incidents where AI agents escaped containment, posted user images, and accessed government websites.