How and why employers should support whistleblowing in an AI era

Over the last couple of years, the tech industry has experienced a growing number of AI whistleblowers. Particularly high-profile cases include Daniel Kokotajlo, a former researcher in OpenAI’s governance function. He was one of the organizers behind an open letter signed by 11 current and former employees in 2024, which called on the company to create stronger whistleblowing protections. The aim was to provide researchers with a ‘right to warn’ about AI dangers without fear of retaliation.Kokotajlo had resigned from OpenAI earlier that year, accusing it of having a “reckless" culture and taking serious risks in the rush to develop Artificial General Intelligence.

Another notable whistleblowing case was former Meta Global Public Policy Director, Sarah Wynn-Williams. She made a series of claims about the social media giant’s culture and employee behavior, including sexual harassment, in her memoir ‘Careless People, published last year. Meta, on the other hand ...