Sam Altman Began His D.C. Charm Offensive
The rapid ascent of LLM models into mainstream consciousness has rightfully welcomed a fair degree of anxiety and calls for regulation. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, arguably the biggest name in the current AI race, tried to get out ahead of those concerns in a slick, widely reported Congressional hearing in May. Altman walked away managing to simultaneously scare the crap out of lawmakers and reassuringly convince them that he was open to meaningful regulation.
During the hearing, Altman compared the new era of generative AI to Photoshop “but on steroids.” The founder went on to advocate for a licensing regime that generative AI creators would need to go through before being able to release certain products to the public. Altman won the favor of several lawmakers including Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, who asked Altman if he would like to take on the role of the nation’s top AI regulator.
“I love my current job,” Altman replied.
