# OpenAI contractors fired for using banned AI tools on ChatGPT review tasks

Digest AI · Research · published 2026-09-27T17:04:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-contractors-fired-for-using-banned-ai-tools-on-chatgpt-review-t

## Summary

OpenAI contractors reviewing ChatGPT responses were fired or removed from projects after violating a ban on using AI tools, according to an investigation by 404 Media. The workers, hired to evaluate AI outputs for naturalness and appropriateness, reportedly used tools like Grammarly and AI detection systems despite explicit prohibitions. Internal rules, reviewed by 404 Media, explicitly forbade AI use, including detection tools like GPTZero and translation aids, for tasks requiring human judgment.

Mercor, one of the third-party firms managing contractors, confirmed it prohibits AI use and removes workers caught violating the rule. Contractors described widespread AI use among peers, with one estimating thousands had been caught. OpenAI declined to comment, and the total number dismissed remains unclear. The findings highlight tensions in AI training, where human oversight aims to refine models but risks contamination if reviewers rely on AI-generated feedback. A 2024 *Nature* study warned of ‘model collapse,’ where recursive AI training can degrade data quality, though no direct link to OpenAI’s contractors was established.

## Key points

- OpenAI contractors fired for using banned AI tools like Grammarly and GPTZero to review ChatGPT responses
- Mercor and other firms enforce bans but remove workers from projects rather than firing them directly
- 404 Media reports contractors flagged AI-generated content via stylistic clues like em dashes and fast turnaround

## Why it matters

The scandal exposes flaws in AI training pipelines, where human reviewers—supposedly safeguarding model quality—may inadvertently feed back low-quality AI-generated data, risking model degradation. It also raises questions about oversight in outsourced AI labor.

## Sources

1. [OpenAI Contractors Hired To Humanise ChatGPT Were Caught Using AI on the Job Despite Ban and Were Fired](https://ibtimes.co.uk/openai-contractors-removed-using-ai-1822365) (ibtimes.co.uk, 2026-09-27)

Part of the developing story: [OpenAI Contractors Fired For AI Training](https://digestai.news/thread/openai-fires-contractors-for-using-ai-to-train-its-models-report-says) (3 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI contractors fired for using banned AI tools on ChatGPT review tasks", 27 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-contractors-fired-for-using-banned-ai-tools-on-chatgpt-review-t

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