Former OpenAI, Google and Anthropic workers are asking AI companies for more whistleblower protections

A group of current and former employees from leading AI companies like OpenAI, Google DeepMind and Anthropic have signed an open letter asking for greater transparency and protection from retaliation for those who speak out about the potential concerns of AI. "So long as there is no effective government oversight of these corporations, current and former employees are among the few people who can hold them accountable to the public," the letter, which was published on Tuesday, says. "Yet broad confidentiality agreements block us from voicing our concerns, except to the very companies that may be failing to address these issues." The letter comes just a couple of weeks after a Vox investigation revealed OpenAI had attempted to muzzle recently departing employees by forcing them to chose between signing an aggressive non-disparagement agreement, or risk losing their vested equity in the company. After the report, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called the provision "genuinely embarrassing" and claims it has been removed from recent exit documentation, though it's unclear if it remains in force for some employees. The 13 signatories include former OpenAI employees Jacob Hinton, William Saunders and Daniel Kokotajlo.