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Wed, 16 Sep 2026

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 OpenAI boss says world 'right to be afraid' but 'should trust' AI firms

Sam Altman and other tech CEOs say there are incentives to limit advancements in AI, as fears grow over the threats it poses to humanity.

* OpenAI boss Sam Altman says people should trust his company and others like it to develop AI safely, but acknowledges that the risks of AI development have increased rapidly.
* Altman's comments came after a researcher at Anthropic claimed that AI could kill all humans by the end of the decade if left unchecked, sparking widespread concern about AI safety.
* Several other AI executives and experts have responded with similar warnings, including Elon Musk, who tweeted in support of regulating AI development.
* However, many industry leaders, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, argue that companies like OpenAI are capable of self-regulating and that government regulation is not necessary.
* Some critics, such as Anthropic executive Jack Clark, argue that leaving AI to be self-regulated is a "bad idea" and that it would be equivalent to "rolling dice with immense risks".
* The industry is reportedly working towards an agreement on safety standards, but some experts warn that the pace of AI development is too rapid for voluntary regulation to keep up.
* US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about AI safety as a "hoax", rejecting calls for greater safeguards.