AI Leaders Call for Slower Development, Obama Backs Initiative
Former US President Barack Obama has welcomed calls from leading AI companies to slow down the development of frontier-model technology. This shift follows recent statements from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Alphabet's Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis calling for stronger safety coordination.
Over 1,300 employees signed a 'Pacing the Frontier' statement in July, urging Washington to support international tools for slowing automated AI development. Obama emphasized that voluntary industry action is insufficient, stating that 'the potential impact of this technology is not overhyped.'
The former President highlighted Project Blueprint, an SV Angel effort led by former press secretary Jay Carney, which aims to connect technology companies and policymakers on AI standards and safety.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) suggested using a 'light touch' but could put 'guardrails around those types of more consequential threats.' The development comes as Congress weighs legislation requiring frontier developers to demonstrate safeguards.