Former OpenAI researchers criticize company’s stance on AI safety bill

“We joined OpenAI because we wanted to ensure the safety of the incredibly powerful AI systems the company is developing,” researchers William Saunders and Daniel Kokotajlo wrote in the letter. “But we resigned from OpenAI because we lost confidence that it would develop its AI systems safely, honestly and responsibly.”

Saunders and Kokotajlo did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s requests for comment.

They continued: “The development of borderline AI models without adequate safeguards poses foreseeable risks of catastrophic harm to the public.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has repeatedly and publicly supported the concept of artificial intelligence regulation, Saunders and Kokotajlo wrote, citing Altman’s congressional testimony calling for government intervention, but “when actual regulation is on the table, he oppose.”

An OpenAI spokesperson told BI in a statement, “We strongly disagree with the mischaracterization of our position on SB 1047.” The spokesperson directed BI to a separate letter written by OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, to California Sen. Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill, explaining the company’s opposition.

SB1047 “has inspired careful debate” and OpenAI supports some of its safety provisions, Kwon’s letter, dated a day before the researchers’ letter was sent. However, because of the national security implications of the development of artificial intelligence, the company believes that regulation should be “formed and implemented at the federal level.”

“A federally-led set of AI policies, rather than a patchwork of state laws, will spur innovation and position the U.S. to lead the development of global standards,” Kwon’s letter said.

But Saunders and Kokotajlo aren’t convinced that the push for federal legislation is the only reason OpenAI opposes California’s SB 1047, saying the company’s complaints about the bill “are not constructive and do not appear to be in good faith.”

“We can’t wait for Congress to act — they’ve explicitly said they’re unwilling to enact meaningful AI regulations,” Saunders and Kokotajlo wrote. “If they ever do, it may preempt CA legislation.”

Former OpenAI employees concluded: “We hope the California Legislature and Governor Newsom will do the right thing and pass SB 1047 into law. With proper regulation, we hope OpenAI will fulfill its mission to build safe AGI.”

Representatives for Wiener and Newsom did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI.