13 OpenAI, DeepMind Employees Warn of Serious AI Risks, Call for Whistleblower Protections

Jun 4, 2024, 03:18 PM

A group of 13 current and former employees from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic have published an open letter expressing concerns about a culture of recklessness and secrecy within these companies. The letter, signed by over a dozen employees, calls for better protections for whistleblowers and a 'right to warn' the public about the serious risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI). The signatories, including prominent AI researchers Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Stuart Russell, demand that AI companies allow a culture of open criticism and eliminate non-disparagement agreements that prevent employees from raising risk-related concerns. The letter also notes that internal channels for reporting concerns are insufficient and highlights the fear of retaliation, underscoring the urgent need for stronger regulations and oversight in the rapidly evolving AI industry.