OpenAI outlines priorities for third-party AI safety assessments

OpenAI published a new set of priorities and principles for thirdparty assessments of its AI systems on September 22, 2026. The company says independent reviews are an important way to test safety claims, evaluate safeguards, and hold frontier AI labs accountable. The post describes four main areas for assessment: safety cases across training and deployment, the effectiveness of critical safeguards, capability evaluations for frontier risk areas such as cybersecurity and biological risks, and independent investigations of serious misalignment incidents. OpenAI says assessors should have enough access to examine claims rigorously while still protecting sensitive information. The company also lists principles for effective assessments, including clear scoping, proportionate access, transparent methods, technical expertise, strong security, and responsible publication practices. OpenAI says it plans to keep working with external assessors and broader standards efforts as the independent evaluation ecosystem develops.