AI industry insiders voice alarms to NYC council as local governments take up safety concerns
At a hearing of the New York City Council, recently departed employees of Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind described a reckless culture at the firms, saying the biggest tech companies are racing to create technology they do not understand how to control.
Artificial intelligence experts warned New York City leaders about the dangers of the emerging technology on Monday, urging greater oversight as local governments seek to address mounting concerns over potential human endangerment. At a New York City Council hearing, former employees of Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind recounted a reckless corporate culture at the firms, citing how the tech giants are racing to develop technology they lack the ability to control.
Anthropic engineer Jacob Coxon argued that while AI offers significant benefits, without transparency and safeguards, it's more likely humanity will lose control and could lead to human extinction. Despite their commitment to safety, the AI company representatives testified at the Manhattan hearing, saying their systems are already improving people's daily lives.
New York City Council speaker Julie Menin pressed the representatives to quantify the worst-case risk posed by AI, with OpenAI's Morgan Dwyer stating that none of the risk levels are acceptable and stressing the importance of committing to safety. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and other state governors have introduced reporting and transparency standards around AI, though their influence is limited due to the technology's global reach.
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