David Robinson, a former safety specialist at OpenAI, has resigned after three and a half years and publicly criticised how the company manages risk.
In an essay for The Atlantic, Robinson argued that OpenAI's fast, launch-driven culture favours speed over care and leaves safety expertise sidelined. He wrote that the "time for trial and error is over" for advanced AI, and compared the safeguards it needs to those used in nuclear power and aviation. He also said OpenAI's practice of "iterative deployment", releasing systems first and fixing problems later, exposes both employees and society to avoidable risks.
At OpenAI, Robinson helped draft the company's preparedness framework and oversaw safety reports for 12 frontier model launches. He said the company was moving from one launch to the next without the level of care required.
OpenAI responded that it pauses training or holds back models when safety concerns arise. Robinson countered that AI capabilities are advancing faster than researchers' ability to make sure systems stay aligned with human goals and values.
His exit adds to the industry-wide debate over whether AI firms are moving too fast without enough alignment research and governance. For HR leaders, it also shows the tension between innovation speed and employees' confidence that leadership takes its duty of care seriously. When safety professionals feel ignored, the risks include lost trust, disengagement and reputational damage.
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