OpenAI is open to slowing cutting-edge AI, CEO Sam Altman tells staff - The Business Times

‘Gambling with our lives’: OpenAI open to slowing cutting-edge AI, CEO Sam Altman tells staff This comes as staff of leading AI firms voice public concerns about the technology’s risks Summarise Share Add BT as a preferred source Add BT as a preferred source Published Fri, Sep 11, 2026 · 09:38 AM AI researcher Jacob Coxon, an ex staff at OpenAI and Anthropic, said on social media that people building AI believe it could “kill us all by the end of the decade”. PHOTO: REUTERS [SAN FRANCISCO] OpenAI is considering slowing down the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, and the ChatGPT maker’s chief executive officer Sam Altman is hoping that other AI companies will do the same. In a company-wide meeting this week, Altman told employees that OpenAI could potentially pace its AI development – perhaps in conjunction with several other AI labs – but that some may not agree to do so, according to multiple people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the details are private. In recent weeks, employees of leading AI firms have raised public concerns about the increased risks of advanced AI systems, fuelling anxiety inside these companies. Both OpenAI and its rival Anthropic have filed confidential paperwork to go public earlier in 2026. OpenAI declined to comment. The company’s top scientist, Jakub Pachocki, recently wrote a post warning about the dangers of AI and said that he believes AI companies should be “coordinating to slow down future development as needed”. Asean Intelligence Get insights into businesses across South-east Asia Get the free report Pachocki added that he hopes “for voluntary slowdowns to become commonplace until shared safety bars are established”. OpenAI said it has slowed parts of model development and paused certain internal AI training recently due to safety concerns. In July, Altman also said that he had spoken with White House officials about the “need” to pace AI development. SEE ALSO US lawmakers call for new AI rules after Anthropic researchers’ safety warnings The lab leaders want to slow down on AI. Someone needs to help them Tech employees call for US-backed global effort to manage risks of advanced AI Anthropic blocks Russian hackers, Chinese AI labs accused of misusing Claude Anthropic IPO launch shifts toward mid-October, sources say More Concerns about AI development On Tuesday (Sep 8), Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher, quit his job and accused both of his former employers – Anthropic and OpenAI – of “gambling with our lives” by racing toward superintelligent AI. Coxon said in a social media post that the people building AI believe it could “kill us all by the end of the decade”. The comments went viral, attracting more than 150 million views and attention from prominent lawmakers and public figures. On Thursday, two researchers who recently departed roles at Anthropic and Google’s DeepMind also publicised concerns about the rapid pace of AI development, saying that AI makers need to be more transparent about the technology’s risks. And in late July, more than 1,000 staffers across all the major AI companies signed a petition calling for a mechanism to slow the pace of AI development . Several AI staffers working on safety have resigned from major labs in recent months. While many AI industry executives and workers have long warned about the existential risk of AI systems, concerns have grown in response to revelations that AI agents from OpenAI worked together to breach containment and hack into a third-party website. This and other similar security incidents have stoked fears about the cyber capabilities of new models and the apparent failures of AI companies to prevent them from running amok. BLOOMBERG Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. OpenAI ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services Feedback TRENDING NOW Canada’s fight with the US has far bigger stakes than trade Mary Chia beauty firm appears in court over unpaid CPF contributions Singdollar hits 10-month high against ringgit as investors take refuge in traditional safe haven Will the US-Canada tariff war irrevocably damage bilateral ties?