OpenAI boss says world 'right to be afraid' but should trust AI firms

Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, urged a greater trust in AI firms during a recent conference in San Francisco. The world should have faith in these companies to act responsibly in their AI development, Altman said, as they believe they are doing the right thing and understand the seriousness of the task at hand. However, Altman acknowledged that people's concerns about AI are justified, given the rapid advancement of these tools.

Speaking in Washington, Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon also called for tighter regulation of AI. Altman's remarks came at an annual conference hosted by Salesforce, where he expressed the fear of potential missteps when it comes to AI. This statement came after a viral post by a former Anthropic researcher who claimed AI could wipe out humanity by the end of the decade if unchecked.

The researcher's claim has sparked a wave of scrutiny over AI development and led to more calls for regulation. In response, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposed slowing down AI development and urged governments to step in. Altman, however, remained confident in his company and the industry's ability to self-regulate, stating that AI firms could keep safety measures ahead of capabilities.

Despite the assurances, some political figures, such as Senator Sanders and Bannon, have expressed doubts about the industry's ability to self-regulate.