Sam Altman, the AI executive with an eye on the risks

When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman turned up to testify on Capitol Hill for the first time this week, he could hardly have expected an easy ride. The breakout success of ChatGPT, his company’s AI-powered chatbot, has triggered a frantic arms race in the tech industry — even though Altman himself has been among those warning that AI, if not properly controlled, could have troubling consequences for humanity.

His appearance before a Senate subcommittee produced what one former committee staffer described as “Altman-mania.” Lawmakers and the media appeared to hang on his every word as he called for AI regulation and admitted, with disarming understatement, “If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.”