GPT-4o launched with rushed safety tests, OpenAI employees say – report

In a Washington Post report, one employee says OpenAI 'basically failed at the process' of adhering to testing protocols

According to the Washington Post, artificial intelligence company OpenAI released GPT-4o without proper testing protocols, ignoring warnings the US government gave last year. 

In the Washington Post report dated July 12, three anonymous employees from OpenAI said the organization rushed safety tests to meet GPT-4o’s May deadline. OpenAI reportedly demonstrated a negligent attitude, throwing a launch party before testing the product’s safety. 

One employee said OpenAI “planned the launch after-party prior to knowing if it was safe to launch.” Referring to adherence to testing protocols, the person said the organization “basically failed at the process.” 

In response to the accusations, Lindsey Held, OpenAI spokesperson, emphasized the company “didn’t cut corners” on its safety process. The article said OpenAI “scheduled human evaluators in different cities to be ready to run tests, a process that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

However, Held does recognize that employees may have been overly stressed by the process. 

There is a clear emphasis on making AI safe. Last year, US Vice President Kamala Harris met up with representatives from Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. In the meeting, Harris said AI could pose a threat to democracy if left unregulated, stating that AI companies have an “ethical, moral, and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products.” 

Former OpenAI employee William Saunders also shared the same concerns in an interview with Alex Kantrowitz. Saunders compared OpenAI’s current trajectory to that of the Titanic. “The Titanic came out of this competitive race between companies to keep building […] ships,” he explained. 

He added that these “ships were bigger than the regulations had been designed for […] so when disaster struck, a lot of people died.” According to him, OpenAI’s priorities were now geared more towards releasing “newer, shiner products.” 

OpenAI’s operations have been questioned since the temporary removal of CEO Sam Altman, which caused an uproar among staff members. 

This raised concerns regarding the company’s priorities as if the tides were shifting towards a more profit-oriented outlook – a stark difference from the non-profit status it held previously.  – Rav Ayag/Rappler.com

Rav Ayag is a Tech and Features intern at Rappler. He is an incoming senior at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Creative Writing program. 

This story was vetted by a reporter and an editor.