For the individual employees, having your name on a peer reviewed paper in a prestigious journal makes you far more employable elsewhere.

Moreso if your current employer is a stealth AI startup which hasn't yet produced much notable.

It also can encourage employees to work for fewer wages... 'If you do great work you can publish and then get a $$$$$$ job offer at OpenAI, or you can stay here and get equity in a fast growing startup. If however your work doesn't do well, you walk away from a bankrupt startup with worthless shares and minimum wage'