At the same time, Altman admitted that public fear about AI is not unreasonable. He explained that it now takes far less imagination than before to picture how things could go wrong, and said he believes people are right to feel uneasy about where the technology is heading.
Concerns Grow After Viral Warning From Former Researcher
Altman's remarks were his first public comments since a widely shared post by a researcher who had recently left a rival AI company. The researcher warned that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity within the next few years if left unregulated. Several other industry figures publicly agreed with the warning, although none offered a detailed explanation of how such a scenario might unfold.
The reaction to these claims has intensified scrutiny of the AI industry. In response, the head of the rival company called for a slower pace of AI development and asked governments to introduce stronger oversight. That message drew praise from Altman, as well as from leaders at other major tech and AI companies. Still, by Tuesday, many of these same leaders were leaning toward self-regulation rather than government intervention.
Industry Leaders Push Back Against Regulation
Altman expressed confidence that AI companies could manage their own safety standards without external rules. He said his industry would prioritize safety over rapid capability growth, and that if safety measures ever fell behind, companies should be willing to slow down or pause development altogether.
Other tech executives echoed similar views. One social media post from a major tech company's chief executive argued that every AI lab has both the ability and the motivation to build safe systems, since companies that ignore safety risk falling behind or facing legal consequences if their technology causes harm.
Meanwhile, the head of a leading computer chip manufacturing company argued that decisions about releasing new AI technology should remain with the companies themselves, not with lawmakers. He said there shouldn't be a forced choice between moving fast and staying safe, adding that safety is ultimately something that can be engineered. He also said that if a company's leadership ever loses confidence in a product's safety, the responsible move is simply not to release it and to pause when things feel out of control.
