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Sam Altman says AI needs to do more than cure cancer to win over skeptics. By Robert Scammell
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, argues that the tech industry has done a 'terrible job' in making the positive case for AI, as public trust in the technology has soured. He states that the utopian view of AI leading to abundance and disease cures is not ambitious enough.
Altman emphasized that AI should enable a boom in creativity and entrepreneurship, but this has been lost in the messaging. Americans increasingly view AI negatively, with 40% predicting a negative impact on society, while only 16% see it as positive. He stressed the importance of AI increasing people's autonomy and power, not reducing it.
Altman's comments contrast with those of Dario Amodei, CEO of rival AI company Anthropic, who believes AI should 'actually' cure cancer to win public trust. Amodei criticized AI companies for not delivering on big promises.
Both Altman and Amodei agree that open dialogue about AI risks is crucial, though difficult. Altman noted that addressing potential issues requires honest debate, which sometimes scares people but is necessary for progress.
Robert Scammell is a senior editor at Business Insider's London bureau, covering tech companies like Google, OpenAI, SpaceX, and Meta. He also edits Vibe Mode, a weekly AI coding newsletter.
Source: Business Insider
