“OpenAI: Fallout” by Zvi

Previously: OpenAI: Exodus (contains links at top to earlier episodes), Do Not Mess With Scarlett Johansson

We have learned more since last week. It's worse than we knew.

How much worse? In which ways? With what exceptions?

That's what this post is about.

The Story So Far

For years, employees who left OpenAI consistently had their vested equity explicitly threatened with confiscation and the lack of ability to sell it, and were given short timelines to sign documents or else. Those documents contained highly aggressive NDA and non disparagement (and non interference) clauses, including the NDA preventing anyone from revealing these clauses.

No one knew about this until recently, because until Daniel Kokotajlo everyone signed, and then they could not talk about it. Then Daniel refused to sign, Kelsey Piper started reporting, and a lot came out.

Here is Altman's statement from [...]

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Outline:

(00:27) The Story So Far

(02:26) A Note on Documents from OpenAI

(02:52) Some Good News But There is a Catch

(12:17) How Blatant Was This Threat?

(14:23) It Sure Looks Like Executives Knew What Was Going On

(18:07) Pressure Tactics Continued Through the End of April 2024

(23:42) The Right to an Attorney

(28:41) The Tender Offer Ace in the Hole

(31:54) The Old Board Speaks

(34:45) OpenAI Did Not Honor Its Public Commitments to Superalignment

(38:59) OpenAI Messed With Scarlett Johansson

(41:55) Another OpenAI Employee Leaves

(44:10) OpenAI Tells Logically Inconsistent Stories

(52:21) When You Put it Like That

(52:51) People Have Thoughts

(56:30) There is a Better Way

(57:18) Should You Consider Working For OpenAI?

(01:02:29) The Situation is Ongoing

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First published:
May 28th, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/YwhgHwjaBDmjgswqZ/openai-fallout

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.