OpenAI has officially addressed the termination of three former employees—Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak, and Mikita Balesni—stating that the decision was based on a "significant breach of trust." In a statement posted to X on Friday, the company asserted that the individuals violated established policies concerning the handling of sensitive company information.

This public response follows an open letter published by the researchers on Thursday, in which they called for greater transparency regarding the circumstances of their departure. The researchers have suggested that their termination may be linked to their vocal advocacy for improved AI safety protocols and transparency within the organization.

OpenAI explicitly rejected the characterization that the firings were an act of retaliation for the employees' public safety concerns. The company maintains that the investigation into the trio's conduct was thorough and that the policy violations were the sole cause for their dismissal. While the company has provided this justification, it has not publicly released specific details regarding the nature of the information allegedly mishandled, citing internal policy and privacy concerns. The situation remains a point of tension between the company's leadership and staff members who have been critical of OpenAI's internal safety culture.