Two former OpenAI researchers, Daniel Kokotajlo and William Saunders, who resigned earlier this year citing safety concerns, have expressed disappointment over OpenAI’s opposition to California’s AI safety bill, SB 1047. In a letter shared with Politico, the researchers urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign the bill, which aims to prevent potential AI-related disasters. They criticized OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, for what they perceive as inconsistency, pointing out that despite Altman’s previous calls for AI regulation, OpenAI opposes this specific regulatory effort.
“Sam Altman, our former boss, has repeatedly called for AI regulation,” they wrote. “Now, when actual regulation is on the table, he opposes it.” They further emphasized that with appropriate regulation, OpenAI could still fulfill its mission of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) safely.
In response, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that the company “strongly disagrees with the mischaracterization of our position on SB 1047.” They noted that OpenAI supports federal-level AI safety regulations, arguing that the implications of AI for national security and competitiveness necessitate a federal approach rather than state-level regulation.
Meanwhile, OpenAI’s competitor, Anthropic, has shown a more supportive stance towards the bill. Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, wrote to Governor Newsom, suggesting that the bill’s benefits likely outweigh its costs, even though he stopped short of fully endorsing it. Amodei’s comments reflect a cautious optimism about the potential impact of the bill, especially after several of Anthropic’s suggested amendments were incorporated into its latest version.
The debate over SB 1047 highlights the ongoing tension within the AI community about the best ways to regulate and manage the rapid development of AI technologies, balancing innovation with safety and ethical considerations.
read more: Meta and Spotify Call for Clarity on AI Regulations in the EU
