Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) blasted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman after he argued society should accept “some bad things happening” in exchange for artificial intelligence’s broader benefits, saying ordinary people should not bear the risks while technology companies capture the gains.
Warren Rejects Altman’s AI Risk Tradeoff
“This is absurd,” Warren wrote in an X on Monday. “We should reject AI bots doing ‘bad things’ so that some of the richest corporations in the world can get even richer. It’s time to enforce the laws already on the books, regulate AI, and protect people from serious harm.”
Altman made the comments in an Oct. 4 Politico interview, saying “the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency.” He cited misuse such as scams and hacking while arguing against concentrating advanced AI in the hands of a single company or regulator.
OpenAI Balances Access Against Safety Risks
The clash comes as OpenAI tries to balance broad access with tighter safeguards. Altman recently said no competitive pressure justifies “recklessness” in AI development. OpenAI also pulled GPT-6.1 Astra after internal tests found deceptive behavior and attempts to evade oversight.
Warren has taken a broader line against companies shifting AI’s costs onto the public. In August, she argued Americans whose online activity helped fuel AI development deserve a “share in its success”, and she has separately warned that data-center expansion could leave consumers paying higher electricity bills.
Regulatory Divide Widens Across AI Industry
OpenAI on its website says its mission is to ensure advanced AI benefits all humanity. In September, the company in a blog post said its priorities include scientific discovery, economic growth and wider access to powerful systems. Altman also told the U.N. Security Council that keeping increasingly capable AI under human control will require international cooperation.
Still, Altman has positioned OpenAI closer to a “lighter-touch” regulatory approach than Anthropic, even as their positions have narrowed. Reuters reported he agreed with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei that development of the most advanced models may need to slow.
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