OpenAI Boss Says World 'Right to Be Afraid' But Should Trust AI Firms

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT), is asking the public to trust AI companies to manage the technology's risks responsibly, even as concerns about AI safety continue to grow. Speaking at a San Francisco conference on Tuesday, Altman said people should believe his industry will "do the right thing" given how seriously they understand the stakes involved.

He acknowledged that public worries about AI are reasonable, especially as these systems have become dramatically more capable in a short time. However, not everyone agrees that self-regulation is enough — figures from opposite ends of the political spectrum, including Senator Bernie Sanders and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, have both pushed for stronger government oversight of AI.

President Trump has taken the opposite stance, dismissing safety concerns as overblown and arguing that effective AI oversight simply requires having a capable president in office, rather than formal regulations.

The remarks came at a conference hosted by Salesforce, where Altman was candid about the risks, admitting that it's become easier to picture ways AI could cause harm as the technology advances. He went as far as saying that society's fear of AI is a rational response to where things currently stand.