AI professionals are advocating for 'Right to Warn' initiative
What's the story
A group of former and current employees from leading AI companies, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, are advocating for a "Right to Warn" initiative.
The advocates aim to alert AI leadership as well as the public about potential safety concerns related to artificial intelligence (AI).
They cite fears over company overreach, accountability, and the silencing of AI workers as key reasons behind their advocacy.
Assurance
Demand for whistleblower protections and open criticism culture
The group is demanding safe and anonymous reporting pathways, strong whistleblower protections, and the abolition of restrictive non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements.
They are also calling on AI firms to aid a culture of open criticism while protecting trade secrets.
These demands have been cosigned by renowned AI scientists Yoshua Bengio, Geoffrey Hinton, and Stuart Russell.
Risks
AI risks and the need for transparency highlighted
The advocates believe that while AI can deliver unprecedented benefits, it also comes with risks such as power concentration within the industry and silencing of concerned staffers.
Ex-OpenAI employee and coalition member William Saunders stated, "When dealing with potentially dangerous new technologies, there should be ways to share information about risks with independent experts, governments, and the public."
Controversy
OpenAI's controversial practices and CEO's response
This initiative comes after a Vox report revealed that OpenAI threatened to claw back workers' vested equity if they didn't sign heavily restrictive NDAs.
In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed ignorance about the vested-equity-for-silence clause.
However, a follow-up Vox piece found that Altman and other OpenAI executives signed paperwork, indicating their direct knowledge of this provision.
Confidence
Call for public confidence in AI companies
Jacob Hilton, a former OpenAI worker now at Alignment Research Center, emphasized the need for public confidence in AI companies. He stated that employees should not face retaliation for speaking out, and that the public needs assurance that companies are sticking to their commitments.