Bill would protect AI employees who speak up in the interest of the public
Following reporting that Sen. Chuck Grassley plans to bring the bipartisan AI Whistleblower Protection Act to the floor, Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) urged the Senate to pass the legislation, which would extend existing whistleblower protections to shield employees of AI labs from retaliation if they disclose significant risks about their work to the American public. This call comes after a former OpenAI and Anthropic employee resigned due to concerns about the dangers of his work and previous reporting about labs silencing their employees. Still, many workers are afraid to voice worries publicly due to fear of retaliation, termination, and lawsuits.
“Lawmakers are sounding the alarm about AI in Washington right now partly because a few brave people took the bold step of disclosing their concerns to the American public. Congress must give AI employees explicit whistleblower protections as they develop and deploy models that are imperative to our country’s security,” said Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation. “We call on the Senate to quickly pass the AI Whistleblower Protection Act to hold labs accountable and ensure that AI employees are not punished for putting the public first.”
ARI endorsed the AI Whistleblower Protection Act alongside a coalition of tech policy and civil society organizations as a vital mechanism to guide AI development in a way that upholds democratic values.
###