[OpenAI Safety Researchers Claim Sudden Dismissal, Allege Company Culture Will Be Affected by a 'Chilling Effect'] According to a report by Business Insider on October 9, three former OpenAI researchers released an open letter on Thursday stating that they were suddenly dismissed last week, an action they claim will create a 'chilling effect' on the company's culture. One of the dismissed employees, Mikita Balesni, shared the open letter addressed to the OpenAI Safety Board on social media. He previously worked on AI alignment research, while the other two signatories of the letter were engaged in AI safety research. An OpenAI spokesperson stated that an internal investigation found the three employees had violated company policies regarding the access and handling of sensitive information. However, the three individuals claimed that the reasons for their dismissal were only explained verbally and that their actions did not exceed the scope of their respective job responsibilities. In the open letter, the three expressed concern that their former colleagues might now 'fear speaking out and hesitate to carry out certain types of work.'