Scott Bessent compares AI CEOs who warn of catastrophe to Hannibal Lecter: 'Stop me before I kill again'
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Silicon Valley doesn't need the government to intervene.
During a recent appearance on The Axios Show, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent likened certain pro-regulation CEOs in the artificial intelligence industry to the villain Hannibal Lecter from the film Silence of the Lambs. Bessent stated, "It's kind of like Hannibal Lecter: Stop me before I kill again," referencing the alarmism of some AI leaders without offering solutions.
He argued that instead of calling for government intervention, these CEOs should slow down development of their technology. Bessent's comments echo the White House's response to AI leaders urging government regulation of their industry due to concerns over out-of-control technology. Some, like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have directly asked the US government for regulation, while President Trump convened AI CEOs for a voluntary self-policing pledge.
Treasury Secretary Bessent praised the AI companies for cooperating with the White House's advice, citing OpenAI's recent decision to suspend a new model after internal tests raised safety concerns. However, not all AI community members agree, with some warning that the race to dominate the AI space is resulting in a disregard for safety measures.
Anthropic's public policy head, Sarah Heck, and an OpenAI safety leader, David Robinson, have both expressed concerns about the company's rapid development pace.
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