OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly warned tech companies about the growing criticism that artificial intelligence (AI) is facing in the United States. The chief executive of the company behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot has also cautioned technology companies about the shifting perception of the AI industry. Speaking at the BlackRock US Infrastructure Summit in Washington, DC, Altman said the technology sector is facing political, economic, and public scrutiny that could affect the pace of AI adoption.“AI is not very popular in the US right now,” Altman said during the event, Business Insider reported. He noted that several developments are shaping the debate around the technology, including concerns about energy consumption and the way companies are linking job cuts to AI.“Data centers are getting blamed for electricity price hikes. Almost every company that does layoffs is blaming AI, whether or not it really is about AI. There’s this real debate about the relative power between governments and companies going on,” he highglighted.
Why Sam Altman thinks AI adoption in US should move faster than in other countries
Talking about the pace of AI adoption in America, Altman said, “If we don’t move as quickly as other countries on economic adoption of this, then I think we will lose the advantage that we have from being the economic powerhouse that we are. And this is about how quickly companies adopt it. This is about how quickly our scientists adopt this, how quickly our government adopts it.”He noted that if the United States acts quickly, AI could provide a significant opportunity to influence global technological and economic developments.“I think this is a once in many generation opportunity to really improve the economy really and rewrite some of the rules of society that aren’t working in light of this new incredible wealth fountain we have,” Altman added.Recent polling suggests that Altman’s concerns about what he described as “a bunch of potential headwinds” facing AI reflect broader public sentiment.An NBC News poll found that 57% of voters believe the risks of AI outweigh its benefits. Respondents also reported less favourable views of AI compared with several public figures and institutions, including Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 50% of American adults said they were “more concerned than excited” about the increasing use of AI, a rise of 13% points since 2021.Altman and OpenAI have also faced scrutiny after a recent deal with the US Department of War, which took place after the Pentagon blacklisted rival AI company Anthropic. Altman referred to these tensions while discussing the debate around “relative power.” He has said that while AI companies play an important role in ensuring the responsible use of the technology, governments ultimately need to be able to rely on them.Altman also noted that political pressures are one of the challenges the US faces in the global AI race. He noted that America currently leads China in AI development but said the outcome is not certain. According to Altman, the US still needs to address issues in global supply chains and ensure that AI adoption advances quickly.
