OpenAI's NDAs are once again under scrutiny after whistleblowers penned a letter to the SEC alleging that employees were made to sign "illegally restrictive" agreements preventing them from speaking out on the potential harms of the company's technology. The letter, which was obtained and published online by The Washington Post, accuses OpenAI of violating SEC rules meant to protect employees' rights to report their concerns to federal authorities and prevent retaliation. It follows an official complaint that was filed with the SEC in June. In the letter, the whistleblowers ask the SEC to "take swift and aggressive steps" to enforce the rules they say OpenAI has violated. The alleged violations include making employees sign agreements "that failed to exempt disclosures of securities violations to the SEC" and requiring employees obtain consent from the company before disclosing confidential information to the authorities.

OpenAI has been without a full board since November, after several members of its previous board stepped down amid a chaotic leadership turmoil that started when its CEO, Sam Altman, was fired. OpenAI's previous board fired Altman saying he had not been "consistently candid in his communications" with board members. After several days of furious backlash from employees and investors, Altman was reinstated as CEO and the company announced a new council meant to set up the new board.