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OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

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Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#13
Why have other companies not done the same? This seems legally tenuous to only now be attempted. Will we see burger flippers prevented from discussing the rat infestation at their previous workplace?

(Don’t have X) - is there a timeline? Can I curse out the company on my deathbed, or would their lawyers have the legal right to try and clawback the equity from the estate?

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#14

Is it criticism if a claim is true? There is so much legal jargon I'm willing to bet most people won't want the headache (and those that don't care about equity are likely already fairly wealthy)

Non-disparagement clauses forbid all negative statements, whether true or not.

https://www.clarkhill.com/news-events/news/the-importance-of...

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#15

Is it criticism if a claim is true? There is so much legal jargon I'm willing to bet most people won't want the headache (and those that don't care about equity are likely already fairly wealthy)

Yes, if it isn't true it is libel or slander (sometimes depending on intent), not just criticism, and already not permissible without any contract covering it.

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#17
Well that's not worrying. /s

I am curious how long it will take for Sam to go from being perceived as a hero to a villain and then on to supervillain.

Even if they had a massive, successful and public safety team, and got alignment right (which I am highly doubtful about being possible) it is still going to happen as massive portions of white collar workers loose their jobs.

Mass protests are coming and he will be an obvious focus point for their ire.

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#18
So that explains the cult-like behaviour months ago when the company was under siege.

Diamond multi-million dollar hand-cuffs which OpenAI has bound lifetime secret service-level NDAs which are another unusual company setting after their so-called "non-profit" founding and their contradictory name.

Even an ex-employee saying 'ClosedAI' could see their PPUs evaporate in front of them to zero or they could never be allowed to sell them and have them taken away.

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#19

Why have other companies not done the same? This seems legally tenuous to only now be attempted. Will we see burger flippers prevented from discussing the rat infestation at their previous workplace? (Don’t have X) - is there a timeline? Can I curse out the company on my deathbed, or would their lawyers have the legal right to try and clawback the equity from the estate?

The Vox article says that it's a lifetime agreement:

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/5/17/24158478/openai...

Re: OpenAI departures: Why can’t former employees talk?

#20

Not a lawyer but those contracts aren't legal. You need something called "consideration" ie something new of value to be legal. They can't just take away something of value that was already agreed upon. However they could add this to new employee contracts.

Through in a preamble of “For $1 and other consideration…
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