- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has warned that the company may withdraw from the European Union (EU) due to the proposed AI Act, which would hold AI firms accountable for how their systems are used. This follows EU lawmakers voting in favor of additional controls earlier this month, citing concerns over deepfakes and privacy violations.
- The EU’s AI Act aims to be the first comprehensive legislation to address artificial intelligence, but Altman’s warning was met with criticism from Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, who accused him of trying to intimidate regulators.
- Altman is on a global tour promoting OpenAI and speaking with regulators. He believes regulation should be “somewhere in between” the traditional approaches of Europe and the US and has argued that AI technology needs some regulatory guardrails.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and the European Union’s Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, are at odds over the proposed AI Act. The act, which aims to establish clear guidelines for developing and deploying artificial intelligence, has been a topic of debate in recent months, with some calling for stricter regulation and others advocating for more lenient rules.
Altman has been an outspoken critic of the AI Act, arguing that it could stifle innovation and impede progress in the field. In a recent interview, he stated that “over-regulation is always a risk when it comes to emerging technologies like AI. We need to be careful not to hamper progress with burdensome rules that don’t take into account the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI.”
On the other hand, Commissioner Breton has been a proponent of the AI Act, arguing that regulation is necessary to protect consumers and ensure that AI is used ethically. He believes that the act strikes a balance between fostering innovation and mitigating potential risks associated with AI.
The disagreement between Altman and Breton highlights the ongoing debate over how best to regulate AI. While some argue that regulation is necessary to prevent unethical use of the technology, others believe that too much regulation could inhibit progress in the field. As the development of AI continues to advance, it is likely that this debate will only intensify in the coming years.