{
  "id": 6730881,
  "title": "Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/why-ai-experts-are-freaked-out-over-safety-fears-ahead-of-xi-trump",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-11T08:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Tech",
    "slug": "scmp-tech",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3367163/why-ai-experts-are-freaked-out-over-safety-fears-ahead-xi-trump-summit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent cybersecurity breaches, internal whistle-blowing, and growing concerns about model safety have sparked alarm over the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence in the United States. This timing is particularly significant as US President Xi Jinping and US leader Donald Trump prepare to meet for a high-stakes summit in Washington. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at a potential slowdown in AI development during a private company-wide meeting, suggesting other leading AI laboratories may follow suit, though participation remains uncertain. AI safety researcher Paul Christiano warned that current trends could lead to a \"catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term.\" OpenAI's safety team member Julie Steele echoed these concerns, stating that she believes a slowdown is necessary due to the risks involved in the current AI race. US Senator Bernie Sanders has pledged to introduce legislation to pause advanced AI development and ban superintelligence. Industry leaders' insistence on achieving self-improving superintelligence, despite safety risks, has intensified security breaches and monitoring difficulties within the AI industry.",
  "summary": "A flurry of cybersecurity breaches, internal whistle-blowing, and declining visibility into model safety has sparked fresh alarm over the US artificial intelligence boom, igniting calls from some experts to slow down development – even as critics warn that deceleration risks surrendering America’s technological lead to China. The mounting concerns come just weeks before President Xi Jinping and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/why-ai-experts-are-freaked-out-over-safety-fears-ahead-of-xi-trump-6731467",
        "published": "2026-09-11T08:00:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}