Several employees of OpenAI publicly supported CEO Sam Altman, stating that he is not against criticism but is very open to different opinions. This collective statement came after a now-deleted post by Nick Huber, the head of AI products at OpenAI, which mentioned being asked to back up claims attributed to Altman during an interview, sparking discussions about whether OpenAI's internal culture allows for dissent.

OpenAI

Employees deny the "retaliation" rumors

Erik Mitchell, co-lead of the post-training front team at OpenAI, was the first to speak out, saying he had repeatedly challenged Altman in person and corrected his statements, even expressing dissatisfaction to management. "Every time I raised an objection or complaint, he would listen with curiosity and openness, sometimes even willing to back down," Mitchell clearly stated that the so-called corporate culture of "retaliating against employees who are honest in criticizing leadership" does not match the facts.

Several former employees also joined the support. Gabriel Petersson, who previously worked as a researcher at OpenAI and Midjourney, confirmed that "Sam is indeed very open to receiving feedback." Deep, who left in April this year, said that OpenAI showed an unusually inclusive attitude towards internal dissent and criticism. Brandon McKinzie, an OpenAI researcher, even stated that the leadership not only listens to criticism but also takes it seriously and takes real action, which is one of the company's most notable strengths.

Controversies continue, but internal culture is recognized