OpenAI Backs Federal Mandate for Independent AI Safety Assessors
OpenAI has endorsed a provision in the bipartisan FRONTIER Act that would require large AI developers to allow independent safety assessors into their operations. This marks the first time OpenAI has publicly backed a federal mandate for AI safety.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, said the company supports the requirement for 'independent verification organizations' (IVO) in the bill. The provision aims to create a federal framework for AI safety by allowing independent evaluators to check that models are being built safely.
The FRONTIER Act was proposed by Reps. Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan, and if passed, it would build on earlier efforts to establish national guardrails for frontier model development. Sen. Maria Cantwell has also called for strong federal regulations on how frontier models are tested and released.