---
format: "aidr-story-markdown/v1"
id: "1b171e011cf7889586a2974e02837d403f74cf947619b7e900312c4bf7d3682a"
canonical_url: "https://aidr.today/1b171e01?lang=en"
title: "OpenAI Fired 3 Safety Researchers Over Disappearing Signal Chats With External Researcher"
lang: "en"
requested_lang: "en"
available_langs: ["en","vi"]
translation_fallback: null
fallback_fields: []
published_at: "2026-10-23T15:39:44.000Z"
category: "Industry"
topics: ["openai","safety"]
source_urls: ["https://huggingnews.com/ai/openai-fired-3-safety-researchers-over-disappearing-signal-chats-with-ex-10e4fbed","https://x.com/ZeffMax/status/2113438537798525372","https://x.com/keachhagey/status/2113441462163546585","https://x.com/TheZvi/status/2113652103302570052","https://x.com/balesni/status/2113458596277264557","https://x.com/GarrisonLovely/status/2113497452842295587","https://x.com/_NathanCalvin/status/2113634226490757551","https://x.com/apples_jimmy/status/2113491436230656332"]
summary: "OpenAI fired three safety researchers—Tomek Korbak, Mikita Balesni, and Jasmine Wang—after security staff found disappearing messages on their personal Signal accounts. The firings followed a leak investigation into a story by The Information about OpenAI's Astra model and its use of opaque architectures. OpenAI suspected the researchers of sharing secret model designs with external expert Ryan Greenblatt, who denied facilitating any leaks."
---

# OpenAI Fired 3 Safety Researchers Over Disappearing Signal Chats With External Researcher

> [Open the canonical story](<https://aidr.today/1b171e01?lang=en>)

**Published:** 2026-10-23T15:39:44.000Z
**Category:** Industry
**Topics:** openai, safety

## Summary

OpenAI fired three safety researchers—Tomek Korbak, Mikita Balesni, and Jasmine Wang—after security staff found disappearing messages on their personal Signal accounts\. The firings followed a leak investigation into a story by The Information about OpenAI's Astra model and its use of opaque architectures\. OpenAI suspected the researchers of sharing secret model designs with external expert Ryan Greenblatt, who denied facilitating any leaks\.

## Sources

- [Story source](<https://huggingnews.com/ai/openai-fired-3-safety-researchers-over-disappearing-signal-chats-with-ex-10e4fbed>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/ZeffMax/status/2113438537798525372>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/keachhagey/status/2113441462163546585>)
- [Story source](<https://x.com/TheZvi/status/2113652103302570052>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/balesni/status/2113458596277264557>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/GarrisonLovely/status/2113497452842295587>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/_NathanCalvin/status/2113634226490757551>)
- [Supporting source](<https://x.com/apples_jimmy/status/2113491436230656332>)