OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are working to create an AI standards body

OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are collaborating to establish an AI standards body, according to the ChatGPT developer. This initiative stems from concerns surrounding the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and the growing call for a safer approach to its development. The idea for this self-regulatory body was first proposed by Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, who suggested a model similar to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority that oversees US brokers and investment firms.

In July, Hassabis advocated for the United States to create an organization responsible for testing the most powerful AI systems before they are released to the public. He emphasized that securing substantial funding would be crucial, as it would primarily come from the industry itself. This funding would enable the organization to attract top technical talent and provide the necessary computational resources for extensive testing.

However, there is no unanimous consensus on how to proceed with this endeavor. A recent blog post by Aiden Gomez, co-founder and CEO of Canadian AI company Cohere, criticized the dominant American AI labs for forming a "cartel" under the guise of safety. Gomez argued that while AI does require guardrails, the real issue lies in determining who writes these rules, who participates in their creation, and whose interests are protected.

AI safety concerns have intensified over the past few weeks, fueled by warnings from two former AI developers who resigned due to worries about the industry's risks. Jacob Coxon, who previously worked at both Anthropic and OpenAI, cautioned that AI companies are "gambling with our lives." Bilal Chughtai, a former researcher at Google DeepMind, echoed these concerns, expressing deep apprehension about the potential existential threat AI poses and urging for a slowdown in its development.

On Monday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a reduction in the speed of AI advancements, a viewpoint supported by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Hassabis. However, US President Donald Trump has dismissed these warnings as "hoaxes." Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang also voiced his disagreement, labeling the concerns about AI's risks as "irresponsible" and arguing that predicting AI's potential to destroy humanity is not grounded in science.