OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says AI’s benefits outweigh many risks

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said that the benefits of artificial intelligence justify accepting a degree of risk, and he argued that the technology should remain broadly accessible to the public. Speaking in an interview with Politico’s technology‑focused newsletter Decoded, Altman emphasized that “the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency.”

Altman acknowledged a fundamental difference in worldview between OpenAI and rival AI lab Anthropic on how the technology should be regulated. He said there is “a lot of daylight” between the two approaches, noting that Anthropic’s stance appears to favor tighter control by a single organization to prevent misuse.

Rejecting the notion that a single lab in San Francisco should be the sole guardian of AI safety, Altman described such a model as “a completely unacceptable trade‑off.” He argued that a “lighter‑touch regulatory stance,” which OpenAI supports, better aligns with the potential for widespread positive impact.

According to Altman, it would be unrealistic to promise zero hacks, misuse, scams or other harms. He contended that people are likely to generate “orders of magnitude more good stuff than bad stuff” with the technology, and that striving for absolute safety would impede beneficial innovation.

Altman’s comments come amid a growing debate within the AI industry over the pace of development and the risks posed by increasingly powerful systems. The discussion highlights differing opinions on how to balance rapid advancement with safeguards, a balance that OpenAI intends to address through broader accessibility rather than stringent centralized control.