OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the public should have more confidence in AI companies to act responsibly in the development of artificial intelligence (AI), despite growing concerns about associated risks. Speaking at a conference in San Francisco on September 16, 2026, Altman emphasized the importance of trust, saying, "The world should trust that we are going to do the right thing because it's the right thing and we feel the magnitude of this." He acknowledged that public fears regarding AI are justified due to the rapid advancement of the technology, noting, "It doesn't take as much imagination as it used to for [us] to imagine how this could go wrong."
Altman's remarks followed a viral post from a former AI researcher at Anthropic, who warned that AI could pose existential risks to humanity by the end of the decade if left unchecked. This claim has sparked increased scrutiny of AI development, prompting Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to call for a slowdown in AI advancements and for governments to regulate the industry.
During the conference, Altman encouraged business leaders to utilize AI tools to enhance their operations while also protecting their businesses from potential AI-enabled cyber threats. He expressed confidence in the ability of AI companies to self-regulate, stating, "We will get it right, I'm very confident in our company's and industry's ability to do this safely."
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, also speaking at the conference, argued that AI firms should determine the release of new technology without external regulation, asserting that safety is primarily an engineering challenge. Huang stated, "Safety is paramount. However, safety is an engineering problem," and advised that if any AI leader lacks confidence in their product, they should refrain from releasing it.
Some industry experts, however, have expressed concerns about self-regulation. Jack Clark from Anthropic described the idea of an unregulated AI industry as "rolling dice with immense risks." Patrick Hillman, COO of Logical Intelligence, highlighted the public's skepticism towards tech companies in acting in the public interest, stating, "The only institution that Americans might trust less than Washington these days is Silicon Valley."
Leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic have indicated they are working towards establishing industry-wide safety standards. Amodei mentioned that Anthropic is engaging in discussions with other companies to enhance safety protocols in AI development. OpenAI executive Chris Lehane noted that the company is collaborating with other AI labs to advance frontier AI standards, emphasizing the need for progress despite potential challenges.