OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: The World Should Fear AI but Trust Our Company’s Responsible Approach

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that as concerns grow about the risks associated with the development of artificial intelligence (AI), people should trust his company and similar organizations to act responsibly in AI development. “The world must believe that we are working responsibly because that is the right thing to do, and we have a deep understanding of it,” he said during a conference held on Tuesday in San Francisco.

However, he also acknowledged that it is natural for people to feel fear due to the rapid advancements of AI tools. “It is very easy today to imagine the possibility of AI going in the wrong direction,” he said. “I think it is appropriate for the world to fear AI.” He shared these views at the annual conference organized by software company Salesforce.

Last week, a researcher from the AI company Anthropic resigned, and after his ideas went viral on social media, this marked Altman’s first public response. The researcher warned that if AI is allowed to go beyond control, it could potentially lead to the extinction of humanity by the end of the decade.

Some other AI experts and executives have expressed agreement with this assessment. However, they have not clearly explained how such a scenario could occur or how AI might create such an outcome. These claims have sparked widespread debate and review, calling for stricter regulation and research in AI development.