# Altman: world must accept AI's harms for its benefits

> OpenAI's CEO says the technology's advantages justify accepting some risks, marking a fundamental divide with rival Anthropic over AI regulation.
- Title: Altman: world must accept AI's harms for its benefits
- Summary: OpenAI's CEO says the technology's advantages justify accepting some risks, marking a fundamental divide with rival Anthropic over AI regulation. Sam Altman…
- Keywords: sam altman, openai, anthropic, ai regulation, dario amodei, artificial intelligence, politics, world, Altman, must, accept, AI's
- Source: POLITICO — https://politico.eu/article/sam-altman-a-decoded-le-monde-devrait-accepter-que-certaines-choses-negatives-se-produisent-face-aux-benefices-de-lia
- Published: 2026-10-05T18:11:56+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: sam altman, openai, anthropic, ai regulation, dario amodei, artificial intelligence, politics, world
## Altman: OpenAI and Anthropic differ fundamentally
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, told POLITICO there is a real divide between his company and rival Anthropic over how to regulate artificial intelligence.

> I think there is a real divide
## The core difference on AI risks
Altman said OpenAI believes the world should accept negative consequences from AI technology in exchange for its benefits, distinguishing his firm from Anthropic's approach.

> We think that the world should accept that certain negative things will happen in light of the benefits of this technology.
## Anthropic's regulatory stance
Anthropic, led by Dario Amodei, has long been the strongest advocate for AI regulation in the sector, a position that contrasted with OpenAI's looser approach until recently.
## OpenAI shifts toward stricter rules
OpenAI has recently supported stricter state laws and a bipartisan House proposal requiring independent auditors to assess model safety, marking a shift from its previous regulatory strategy.
## Altman rejects concentrated control
Altman said he rejects the idea that one San Francisco lab should control powerful AI and prevent all harms, calling it a totally unacceptable compromise.

> I will not make the compromise of saying we will make sure there are no major hacks, no misuse of this technology, zero fraud or anything else negative that could happen.
## Altman dismisses catastrophic AI risks
The OpenAI CEO said he does not believe in truly catastrophic risks from AI, including the possibility of serious loss of control over the technology.
## Anthropic defends its regulatory proposals
An Anthropic spokesperson said the company's regulatory proposals apply only to cutting-edge models and are designed to disadvantage leading AI firms while favoring smaller competitors.

> Anthropic has always formulated its policy proposals with great care. We really try to present proposals that disadvantage frontier AI companies while favoring their smaller competitors.
## Key takeaway

Sam Altman told POLITICO that OpenAI believes society should accept negative consequences from AI to gain its benefits, contrasting his firm's stance with Anthropic's stricter regulatory approach.