OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate restrictive non-disclosure agreements, Washington Post reports

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, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing a copy of the letter sent to the SEC.

The whistleblowers alleged that OpenAI issued overly restrictive employment, severance and nondisclosure agreements to its employees, which could have led to penalties against workers who raised concerns about OpenAI to federal authorities, according to the newspaper.

The AI company made employees sign agreements that required them to waive their federal rights to whistleblower compensation, according to the letter seen by the Washington Post. The agreements also required that employees get prior consent from the company if they wanted to disclose information to federal regulators, the newspaper said, adding that OpenAI did not create exemptions in the employee non-disparagement clauses for disclosing securities violations to the SEC.

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 Washington Post report.

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.