OpenAI has reportedly done that be more careful about publishing research that highlights the potentially negative impact AI could have on the economy, four people familiar with the matter tell WIRED.
The perceived decline has contributed to the departure of at least two employees of OpenAI's economic research team in recent months, according to the same four people, who spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity.
One of these employees, Tom Cunningham, left the company entirely in September after concluding that it had become difficult to publish high-quality research, WIRED has learned. In a parting message shared internally, Cunningham wrote that the team was facing growing tension between conducting rigorous analysis and functioning as a de facto advocacy arm for OpenAI, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Cunningham declined WIRED's request for comment.
OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon addressed these concerns in an internal memo following Cunningham's departure. In a copy of the message obtained by WIRED, Kwon argued that OpenAI should act as a responsible leader in the AI sector and not only address issues with the technology but also “build the solutions.”
“My position on difficult topics is not that we shouldn't talk about them,” Kwon said on Slack. “Because we are not only a research institution, but also an actor in the world (in fact the protagonist) who puts the subject of research (AI) into the world, we are expected to take agency over the outcomes.”
In a statement to WIRED, OpenAI spokesperson Rob Friedlander said the company hired its first chief economist, Aaron Chatterji, last year and has since expanded the scope of its economic research.
“The economics research team conducts rigorous analyzes that help OpenAI, policymakers and the public understand how people use AI and how it shapes the broader economy, including where benefits accrue and where societal impacts or disruptions may arise as the technology evolves,” said Friedlander.
The alleged shift comes as OpenAI deepens its multibillion-dollar partnerships with companies and governments and cements itself as a central player in the global economy. Experts believe that the technology OpenAI is developing could transform the way people work, although major questions still remain about when this change will happen and to what extent it will impact people and global markets.
Since 2016, OpenAI has regularly published research on how its own systems can reshape labor and share data with outside economists. In 2023, the company published “GPTs Are GPTs,” a widely cited article that examined which industries were likely to be most vulnerable to automation. Over the past year, however, two sources say the company has become more cautious about releasing work that highlights AI's economic downsides — such as job losses — and has favored publishing positive findings.
