What happened
Top artificial intelligence industry players, including Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk, are calling for the regulation of the AI sector. They propose slowing the development of advanced AI, embedding outside safety evaluators in leading laboratories, and establishing common standards with government help.
A 27-year-old Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, recently resigned, accusing the company of "gambling with our lives" due to the potential risks of AI. Another researcher, Evan Hubinger, publicly backed Coxon, stating that AI could kill all humans, with a personal estimate of the risk at greater than 10 percent within the next decade.
The call for regulation has raised concerns that it may be an attempt to stifle competition and protect the market position of established players. According to economist George Stigler, regulation is often acquired by industries to improve their market position and restrict entry. This phenomenon is known as "regulatory capture."
The proposed rules could require certifications and safety evaluations, which may be costly for smaller companies to implement, giving larger laboratories a competitive advantage. The regulatory system could also target open-weight AI models, which are a challenge to the centralized models of companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
The call for regulation has been linked to the ideology of "effective altruism," which emphasizes the use of technology to improve the world, but has been criticized for its utilitarian approach and disregard for traditional concepts of rights and duties.
