AI Workers Seek Whistleblower Cover to Expose Emerging Threats

Workers at artificial intelligence companies want Congress to grant them specific whistleblower protection, arguing that advancements in the technology pose threats that they can’t legally expose under current law.

“What people should be thinking about is the 100 ways in which these companies can lose control of these technologies,” said Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor who represented OpenAI employees and former employees raising issues about the company.

Current dangers range from deepfake videos to algorithms that discriminate, and the technology is quickly becoming more sophisticated. Lessig called the argument that big tech companies and AI startups can police ...