From Fortune · Eleanor Pringle · · 1m 40s
Bessent: AI labs must bear responsibility for risks
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says hyperscalers cannot escape liability for AI safety failures, rejecting calls for government protection.
In brief
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says hyperscalers cannot escape liability for AI safety failures, rejecting calls for government protection. Treasury Secretary Bessent says AI companies must take responsibility for their technology's risks and cannot shift liability to government. Originally reported by Fortune.
Researchers warn of extinction risk
Former OpenAI and Anthropic researchers have raised alarm about AI safety. Evan Hubinger at Anthropic warned there is a maximum ten percent chance AI could wipe out humanity within the next decade.
“low but maximum 10% chance AI could wipe out humanity within the next decade”
Bessent rejects liability shield for labs
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that AI companies cannot escape responsibility for their technology. He said government will not become a liability shield for hyperscalers, no matter what risks they claim.
“We cannot absolve you of responsibility”
Bessent: labs can slow down anytime
Bessent clarified the administration's position: AI labs need to take responsibility for themselves and can slow down their progress whenever they choose. Humans, not AI, are responsible for the technology's risks.
“They can slow down any time they want to”
Trump takes different approach to regulation
President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. already has tremendous regulatory power over AI companies. He said the only guardrails AI needs is a strong and smart president, and criticized Anthropic cofounder Dario Amodei.
“the only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT”
Amodei and Altman call for government involvement
Anthropic cofounder Dario Amodei wrote a letter calling on labs to slow progress and suggesting U.S. government support would be needed to globally coordinate and legally bind safety standards. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman echoed this argument.
“It can simultaneously be true that... there might be significant risk”
Sanders: binding rules needed, not voluntary standards
Senator Bernie Sanders pointed out that competition and self-regulation are not traditional bedfellows. He argued that when humanity's future is at stake, binding international safety rules are needed, not voluntary industry standards.
“When the future of humanity is at stake, we need binding international safety rules, not voluntary standards from the industry”
The takeaway
Treasury Secretary Bessent says AI companies must take responsibility for their technology's risks and cannot shift liability to government.
