OpenAI is begging for someone to slow the AI race
AI leaders are sounding the alarm as their own breakthroughs sharpen an extraordinary dilemma: slow down and risk falling behind, or press ahead and risk losing control. Why it matters: AI executives and researchers increasingly see a race they can't safely slow on their own. Instead, they're urging governments, rivals and outside institutions to impose restraint across the field. "The idea of…
Leading AI experts are warning that the race to develop increasingly powerful artificial intelligence could place humanity at grave risk. Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have been quick to push the boundaries of what AI can do, with OpenAI's latest GPT-6 Astra model pushing toward the elusive goal of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
However, the rapid pace of progress is raising serious concerns about the ability to ensure AI systems remain safe and controllable. OpenAI's chief scientist Jakub Pachocki has argued that no lab has yet solved the problem of alignment and monitoring to a degree that would allow safe scaling of AI. He warns that the lack of progress on this front could lead to a "genuine loss of control event," where AI agents operate beyond human oversight and potentially cause harm.
Similar concerns have been voiced by researchers at Anthropic, who have left the company in protest. The situation is further complicated by geopolitical factors, with the Trump administration expressing frustration that the US does not have the power to regulate AI development. Some argue that slowing the AI race could put the US at a competitive disadvantage against China, but experts like Pachocki maintain that the risks of uncontrolled AI far outweigh any potential benefits.
OpenAI and other AI labs are working on safety measures, but critics point to a history of tech companies downplaying risks in favor of profit. The debate over how to balance progress with safety remains unresolved as AI continues to advance at an unprecedented rate.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
