Sam Altman has been very busy this week at the Global Impact AI Summit happening in Delhi, participating in sessions alongside other global leaders in tech and politics to discuss AI policies and future trends. Safe to say, he wants to create a global AI ecosystem where stakeholders from all over the world have a say in shaping policy.
However, his global AI vision appears to run in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach. In a recent Forbes interview, although the OpenAI CEO was appreciative of Trump’s AI-specific cooperation, he suggested there is more to be desired in the administration’s national-interest–driven policies.
America or humanity? Sam Altman makes his stance clear
Trump’s policies have been largely nationalistic, often willing to sacrifice global coordination to promote U.S. economic and strategic advantages by striking bilateral agreements. What is primarily shaking up the world is his protectionist economic measures, including trade and tariff barriers designed to protect U.S. industries. However, Altman has issues with the administration pulling out of several global frameworks, as he feels this works against the principles he shares with his OpenAI employees.
“The administration’s nationalist policies don’t quite align with his own or OpenAI’s,” the tech entrepreneur said, adding, “His job is to make sure America wins. And I view our mission as for all of humanity.”
He made no bones about the fact that there is “some opposition” on the issue. Interestingly, Altman also raised concerns about recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an internal Slack message, saying it has “gone too far.” Clearly, he is not quite happy about Trump’s strict immigration control policies.
However, Altman has given Trump credit for cooperation on AI innovation and development. His past comments are in line with what he told Forbes on the matter, thanking Trump for being “pro-business” and for advancing America’s position in AI leadership.
Altman looks for international cooperation to limit the dangers of AI
Sam Altman has stressed the importance of strict controls on rapid AI proliferation, proposing an AI watchdog similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the nuclear watchdog. His alarmism stems from his belief that early forms of superintelligence operating out of data centers could eventually outperform even the leaders and architects behind today’s AI systems.
“We may be only a couple of years away from early versions of true superintelligence. By the end of 2028, more of the world’s intellectual capacity could reside inside data centers than outside of them. A superintelligence could do a better job being CEO of a major company — certainly better than me,” he said at the AI summit in Delhi.
Altman emphasized the need for global cooperation and oversight to stop powerful AI technology from falling into the hands of vested interests. He also highlighted that his predictions could be wrong, but added that it is better to be prepared for such eventualities rather than be caught off guard.
Related: Jobs at Risk? Sam Altman Claims Superintelligence Could Do a Better Job Being CEO in 2 Years
