What is known about David Robinson’s departure from OpenAI, his work on safety transparency and system cards, and the company’s dismissal of Tomek Korbak, Mikita Balesni, and Jasmine Wang over alleged mishandling of sensitive information—and how do these departures relate to earl

David Robinson’s resignation and the three researchers’ dismissals are separate events, though both add to scrutiny of OpenAI’s safety work. The firings involve OpenAI’s allegation of mishandled information; there is no evidence in the reporting reviewed that Robinson was implicated or that the departures share a cause. 138

• Robinson: OpenAI confirmed that he left in late September 2026. He had worked in its Safety Systems organization, leading safety-transparency work that included system cards—public accounts of model evaluations, risks and safeguards. His reason for leaving has not been established in the reporting reviewed. 13
• The dismissals: OpenAI said an internal investigation found that three employees violated its information-access and handling policies. Reporting identifies them as Tomek Korbak, Mikita Balesni and Jasmine Wang, and says the alleged conduct involved sharing confidential material with an outside AI-safety organization. OpenAI did not publicly confirm their names or specify the material; the allegation should not be treated as a fully public account of what happened. 813
• Wider safety concerns: The exits come amid earlier departures from OpenAI’s safety ranks and public concern about whether increasingly capable models can be adequately tested and secured. That context makes the loss of safety and transparency staff significant, but does not establish that inadequate testing or security caused these particular departures. 132
• Public positions and IPO: Altman has said safety concerns make a 2026 IPO ill-advised; reporting in September said a listing would be delayed until at least 2027. Thus, a late-2026 listing should be described as an earlier reported possibility, not a current confirmed plan. I could not verify a public statement from Robinson explaining his resignation, so his past public remarks should not be presented as its motive. 213