OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to Pitch Global AI Standards as Safety Debate Intensifies

Benzinga · 1d ago

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is currently appearing in person before the UN Security Council as diplomats discuss the opportunities and risks surrounding artificial intelligence, Bloomberg reported.

Ahead of the speech, OpenAI representatives said Altman planned to present himself as a "pragmatic centrist," arguing for shared safety standards across the artificial intelligence industry while preserving technological development and avoiding excessive concentration of control among a small number of companies.

The UN’s General Assembly, which meets in New York, has made the theme of this year’s session the fear that artificial intelligence may become out of control.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a speech yesterday warning that AI could be dangerous and called for global cooperation. President Donald Trump later rejected the proposal, calling it a "global scheme."

While OpenAI said it is not planning to endorse any specific international regulatory body, the company is planning to advocate for AI safety and democratic control, Bloomberg reported.

OpenAI representatives said the UN could help facilitate discussions around AI standards, while individual countries could pusue their own regulatory frameworks through democratic processes.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amoedi, is also scheduled to participate remotely by video. Both Altman and Amoedi have both been outspoken, pushing for binding government regulations and safety standards for AI.

Amoedi recently penned an article entitled "We Must Pace the Frontier," calling for a slowdown in development to allow for safety, alignment, interpretability, and testing efforts to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. 

Amoedi’s proposed framework includes independent third-party evaluators, coordination among AI companies in democratic countries and eventual global agreements on AI safety standards and limits on the pace of development.

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