In a letter addressed to Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) have raised concerns about the company’s treatment of whistleblowers and its safety review processes.
What Happened: The lawmakers have expressed their concerns about the suppression of internal criticism at OpenAI in the letter shared exclusively with The Verge. They have cited instances where OpenAI’s safety procedures have been questioned, such as the unauthorized testing of an unreleased version of GPT-4 in India and Altman’s temporary removal due to concerns over commercializing advancements.
Warren and Trahan’s letter seeks information on OpenAI’s whistleblower and conflict of interest protections to determine if federal intervention is necessary.
Microsoft Corp MSFT is an early investor of OpenAI, with some lawmakers questioning if the investment raises antitrust concerns. Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL, Google’s parent company, has also come under scrutiny for its investment in AI-startup Anthropic.
Other lawmakers have also sought answers about the company’s safety practices, including a group of senators led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI). Warren and Trahan have requested further clarity on OpenAI’s responses to this group, including the establishment of a new “Integrity Line” for employees to report concerns.
Altman has been asked to provide information about the usage of the company’s new AI safety hotline for employees and how the company follows up on reports. The lawmakers are also seeking information on OpenAI’s conflicts policy, including Altman’s financial conflicts of interest.
Why It Matters: This letter adds to the mounting pressure on OpenAI, which has been facing a series of challenges. Earlier this month, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman for allegedly using his technology without permission. These legal and regulatory challenges could have a significant impact on the company’s future operations and its standing in the AI industry.
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