Q&A with Sam Altman on President Trump, the midterms, extinction risk, Xi Jinping's state visit, self-policing vs. regulation, and Greg Brockman's donations (Vanity Fair)

Sam Altman is widely recognized as the face of artificial intelligence, having co-founded and served as CEO of OpenAI. In this interview, Altman covers a range of topics, including his new product, Dots, which he describes as an AI assistant that gets to know users and helps them tackle unappealing tasks. Altman expresses enthusiasm for Dots, noting that it has the potential to reduce the feeling of dread associated with tedious work.

Altman also touches upon the company's delay in releasing the latest version of Astra, their latest ChatGPT model. The decision to postpone the release was made due to Astra failing to meet safety standards. Altman acknowledges that as AI models become more capable, the bar for safety will continue to rise. He emphasizes that there are two primary risks associated with AI: a catastrophic safety accident that could lead to loss of control over the technology, or a gradual erosion of privacy and attention due to constant notifications.

Altman believes in finding a balance between automating undesirable tasks and preserving human connection, while also ensuring that AI development remains responsible and secure.