Former OpenAI safety staffer resigns, warns publicly about AI risks

David Robinson, who previously wrote the safety reports accompanying major model releases at OpenAI, has resigned from his position at the company and is now speaking publicly about his concerns.

Robinson detailed his reasons for leaving in an editorial published in The Atlantic, joining a number of former OpenAI employees and researchers who have left the company in recent years and subsequently raised concerns about its approach to AI safety.

His departure adds to a pattern of current and former employees at leading AI labs speaking out publicly about internal safety practices after leaving their roles, a trend that has drawn scrutiny given the specialized, insider knowledge such individuals typically bring to their critiques.

OpenAI has not been reported as issuing a detailed public response to Robinson's specific claims. The company has previously said it takes safety seriously in the development of its models, though former staff have periodically disputed how those commitments are implemented internally.