OpenAI's co-founder and chief executive, Sam Altman, is scheduled to speak at the United Nations on Wednesday, championing the establishment of global artificial intelligence standards while positioning himself as a pragmatic centrist in the ongoing debate over whether AI development should be slowed. Altman is set to personally attend the UN Security Council's session on artificial intelligence, where diplomats from various nations will convene to deliberate on AI-related issues. Dario Amodei, chief executive of rival firm Anthropic PBC, is expected to join the meeting via video link.
In a briefing ahead of Altman's address, OpenAI representatives indicated that he would advocate for shared AI safety standards from a pragmatic middle-ground perspective, aiming to avoid stifling innovation while also preventing excessive concentration of power within a small group of companies. This meeting coincides with the annual general debate at the UN General Assembly in New York. A significant topic this year is the concern over unchecked AI advancement, a discussion intensified by the recent resignation of a researcher from Anthropic earlier this month over such worries.
When queried about comments from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding AI regulation, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that the company does not back any specific international regulatory body. Instead, it advocates for foundational AI safety standards that remain subject to democratic oversight. They noted that several existing international AI safety organizations could participate in this effort. The spokesperson added that the UN could also be involved in discussions on these standards, with different nations potentially adopting varied regulatory approaches through their respective democratic processes.
Altman first proposed an American-led global framework back in July and elaborated further on this network concept in a blog post released earlier this week. Anthropic did not respond to requests for comment regarding the specific views Amodei would present during the session.