Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees in a private company-wide meeting this week that the firm was considering slowing down its AI development, possibly coordinating the slowdown with other leading AI laboratories, according to a Friday Bloomberg report. The deliberations come as AI safety researcher Paul Christiano, who recently joined OpenAI's non-profit board on its safety and security committee, warned Thursday of a "catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term" on the technology's current trajectory, ahead of a planned Washington summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.

Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit Experts fear Silicon Valley is hurtling towards a major cybersecurity incident. Meanwhile, US-China tensions are undercutting AI safety talks artificial intelligence boom https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3366733/china-targets-fourfold-boost-ai-computing-capacity-2030-major-tech-push?module=inline&pgtype=article , igniting calls from some experts to slow down development – even as critics warn that deceleration risks surrendering America’s technological lead to China. President Xi Jinping and US leader Donald Trump https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3366955/us-firms-confidence-china-has-soared-amid-xi-trump-trade-truce-survey?module=inline&pgtype=article are set to meet for a high-stakes summit in Washington. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees in a private company-wide meeting this week that the firm was considering slowing down its AI development, according to a Friday report from Bloomberg. OpenAI may coordinate the slowdown with other leading AI laboratories, though some firms may decline to participate, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter. rapid AI advancement https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3366216/tech-race-flashpoint-huang-musk-push-back-ai-guard-rails-amid-heated-us-china-rivalry?module=inline&pgtype=article . Paul Christiano, a prominent AI safety researcher who recently joined OpenAI’s non-profit board to serve on its safety and security committee, warned on Thursday of a “catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term” based on the current trajectory of the technology.