OpenAI has reportedly become more cautious about publishing research that details the potential negative effects of AI on the economy, according to four individuals familiar with the situation who spoke with WIRED on the condition of anonymity. This perceived shift has reportedly contributed to the departure of at least two employees from OpenAI’s economic research team in recent months. One of these employees, Tom Cunningham, left the company entirely in September after finding it increasingly difficult to publish high-quality research. In a message shared internally, Cunningham noted a growing tension between conducting rigorous analysis and acting as an advocacy group for OpenAI, sources indicate. Cunningham did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
Following Cunningham’s exit, Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, addressed these concerns in an internal memo. In a copy of the message obtained by WIRED, Kwon emphasized that OpenAI needs to act responsibly within the AI sector, stating that the company should not only highlight issues but also “build the solutions.” “My POV on hard subjects is not that we shouldn’t talk about them,” Kwon mentioned on Slack. “Rather, because we are not just a research institution, but also an actor in the world (the leading actor in fact), we are expected to take agency for the outcomes.”
In a statement to WIRED, OpenAI spokesperson Rob Friedlander mentioned that the company hired its first chief economist, Aaron Chatterji, last year and has broadened the focus of its economic research. “The economic research team conducts rigorous analysis that helps OpenAI, policymakers, and the public understand how people are using AI and how it is shaping the broader economy, including areas where benefits are arising and where societal impacts or disruptions may occur as the technology evolves,” Friedlander stated.
This alleged change comes as OpenAI strengthens its multibillion-dollar partnerships with corporations and governments, positioning itself as a significant player in the global economy. Experts suggest that the technology being developed by OpenAI could drastically change how people work, though many questions remain about when this transformation will take place and the extent of its effects on individuals and global markets.
Since 2016, OpenAI has consistently published research on how its systems might reshape labor, sharing data with external economists. In 2023, the company co-published “GPTs Are GPTs,” a widely referenced paper assessing which sectors are likely to be most vulnerable to automation. However, over the past year, two sources indicate that OpenAI has grown more hesitant to share findings highlighting the economic downsides of AI, such as job displacement, instead opting to publish more positive results.
