OpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, urging the agency to investigate the artificial intelligence company’s alleged use of restrictive non-disclosure agreements, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.
The letter, provided to Reuters by the office of Senator Chuck Grassley, alleges that OpenAI required some employees to sign agreements that waived their federal rights to whistleblower compensation. The whistleblowers asked the SEC to investigate the company’s past NDAs and assess whether its current practices comply with federal securities rules.
“Given the well-documented potential risks posed by the irresponsible deployment of AI, we urge the Commissioners to immediately approve an investigation into OpenAI’s prior NDAs,” the letter stated.
The complaint also alleges that OpenAI used overly restrictive employment, severance and non-disclosure agreements that could discourage workers from reporting concerns to federal authorities. It further claims employees were required to seek prior company approval before sharing information with regulators and that certain non-disparagement clauses lacked exceptions for reporting potential securities violations to the SEC.
The whistleblowers requested that the SEC consider financial penalties for each agreement it determines was improper. They also asked the agency to require OpenAI to provide all contracts containing non-disclosure provisions, including employment, severance and investor agreements, for review.
An SEC spokesperson said the agency does not comment on the existence or absence of potential whistleblower submissions. OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Senator Grassley said the allegations raise concerns about protections for employees who report wrongdoing. “Artificial intelligence is rapidly and dramatically altering the landscape of technology as we know it,” he said, adding that OpenAI’s practices appear to have a chilling effect on whistleblowers’ ability to come forward and receive compensation for protected disclosures.
The development was first reported by The Washington Post.
The complaint arrives amid growing scrutiny of the safety and governance of advanced AI systems. OpenAI’s generative AI tools, including chatbots capable of human-like conversations and image-generation features, have prompted broader debate over the risks associated with increasingly powerful models.
In May, OpenAI established a Safety and Security Committee led by board members, including Chief Executive Sam Altman, as the company began training its next artificial intelligence model.
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