What happened
Big Tech companies are pushing for "AI safety" guardrails, sparking concerns that their efforts may be driven by a desire to consolidate power and profit rather than genuine concerns for humanity. Critics argue that the push for AI safety could lead to antitrust waivers, allowing a select group of tech leaders to squelch competition and gain more control over the industry.
Some experts, including former Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, believe that the push for AI safety is designed to sideline US companies that favor more open-source AI models. Open models are typically free and allow users more control over the model's core inputs, whereas closed models, developed by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, are more restrictive.
Industry leaders, including Anthropic's Dario Amodeo and SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk, have backed industry-wide coordination on AI, framing collaboration as necessary to implement safety controls. However, critics argue that concentrating power in the hands of a few people is "troubling" and could lead to a lack of competition and innovation.
There are also concerns that new regulations and licensing requirements could spell trouble for smaller start-up labs and those developing and using open models. Some experts have suggested that third-party auditors, such as METR, could help ensure AI safety, but others have raised concerns that such auditors may have financial ties to the companies they are supposed to regulate.
