Kenneth Cheung
OpenAI whistleblowers have asked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to “immediately approve” an investigation into the artificial intelligence (AI) startup’s prior non-disclosure agreements with its employees, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing a seven-page letter it obtained.
The whistleblowers have also alleged that OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft (MSFT), illegally prohibited its employees from warning regulators about the risks its AI technology may pose to humanity.
The Washington Post said the letter was dated July 1 and was addressed to SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
OpenAI, Microsoft (MSFT) and the SEC did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Seeking Alpha.
According to the letter cited by the Washington Post, the whistleblowers alleged that OpenAI’s non-disclosure agreements “prohibited and discouraged both employees and investors from communicating with the SEC concerning securities violations, forced employees to waive their rights to whistleblower incentives and compensation, and required employees to notify the company of communication with government regulators.”
“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 Rule 21F-17(a),” the letter added, as per the Post.
OpenAI shot to fame in November 2022 after launching ChatGPT, kicking off a craze in AI that has since swept up the world of technology. Microsoft (MSFT) in January last year announced a multibillion dollar investment in the AI startup.