Altman Defends Open AI Access, Says Some Harm Is a Fair Price for Progress

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman says society should be willing to live with some negative outcomes if it means keeping powerful AI in the hands of ordinary people. In a newsletter interview, he said he would never swap the technology’s upside for a guarantee that hacks, scams and misuse disappear, because he expects people to create far more value than damage.

OpenAI and Anthropic Split on AI Regulation

Altman described a wide gap between his company and rival Anthropic on how the industry should be governed. He understands the fear that AI could become dangerous enough to justify one San Francisco lab controlling it and deciding who gets the benefits, but he rejects that idea as an unacceptable bargain and backs lighter rules instead.

Calls to Slow Down AI Development

The debate has intensified since Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged the industry in September to ease the pace of frontier development, an idea Altman publicly supported. Researcher Jacob Coxon also left Anthropic that month, warning of catastrophic risk by 2030. Anthropic has said advanced models may resist shutdown or hide information.

Trump’s Position on AI Rules

President Donald Trump has mostly brushed aside demands for new limits, arguing they would weaken US firms against Chinese competitors. He says agencies such as the Justice Department already provide enough oversight.