AI labs turn to independent evaluators as safety concerns grow

Friction is already emerging. OpenAI fired three employees last week, including Mikita Balesni and Tomek Korbak, who said they were dismissed over communications with third-party evaluators. OpenAI disputed this and said it remains committed to external assessments. Critics warn that without independent funding and government standards, evaluators risk becoming beholden to the labs they audit. The FRONTIER Act in Congress and new California laws aim to create licensed Independent Verification Organizations, but federal action remains uncertain. Anthropic and OpenAI have endorsed the California bills while preferring federal requirements.