Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit

Experts fear Silicon Valley is hurtling towards a major cybersecurity incident. Meanwhile, US-China tensions are undercutting AI safety talks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees in a private company-wide meeting this week that the firm was considering slowing down its AI development, according to a Friday report from Bloomberg.

OpenAI may coordinate the slowdown with other leading AI laboratories, though some firms may decline to participate, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Paul Christiano, a prominent AI safety researcher who recently joined OpenAI’s non-profit board to serve on its safety and security committee, warned on Thursday of a “catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term” based on the current trajectory of the technology.