The daily business briefing: May 17, 2023

OpenAI CEO warns Congress of AI risks, Biden hints at debt ceiling progress, and more

An OpenAI logo on a smartphone screen
The CEO of OpenAI expressed concern about AI's capabilities, but said his company would continue releasing new AI technology
(Image credit: STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

1. OpenAI CEO urges Congress to address AI risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday warned lawmakers artificial intelligence could "cause significant harm to the world." Altman, testifying to Congress for the first time, said he was willing to cooperate with lawmakers to reduce risks by his company's ChatGPT and rival AI products. Altman called for regulations to address potential hazards, like the spreading of disinformation, emotional manipulation, or even the use of AI to target drone strikes. "If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong," Altman said, although he said his company would continue developing and releasing new technology. Members of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee expressed fear that the technology was developing too fast for policy makers to keep up, with AI already killing some jobs and spreading misinformation.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.