• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

2

Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard

3

Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’

1

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

2

Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard

3

Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
TechAI

OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Google’s Sundar Pichai are now begging governments to regulate the A.I. forces they’ve unleashed

Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Prarthana Prakash
By
Prarthana Prakash
Prarthana Prakash
Europe Business News Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 23, 2023, 2:43 PM ET
Portrait of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on blue background.
From left: Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both say the government should be involved in regulating A.I.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images; Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than anyone was prepared for—and it’s starting to scare people. Now, the chiefs of two tech companies that are front-runners in A.I. are sharing the same message—that governments should regulate A.I. so it doesn’t get out of hand. 

On Monday, top leaders of OpenAI, maker of buzzy A.I. chatbot ChatGPT, said governments should work together to manage the risk of “superintelligence,” or advanced development of A.I. systems. 

“We can have a dramatically more prosperous future; but we have to manage risk to get there,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a blogpost.

He wasn’t the only one calling for more oversight of A.I. Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai also proposed that governments should be more involved in its regulation.

“A.I. needs to be regulated in a way that balances innovation and potential harms,” Pichai wrote in the Financial Times on Monday. “I still believe A.I. is too important not to regulate, and too important not to regulate well.”

Pichai suggested that governments, experts, academics, and the public all be part of the discussion when developing policies that ensure the safety of A.I. tools. The Google chief also said countries should work together to create robust rules. 

“Increased international cooperation will be key,” Pichai wrote, adding that the U.S. and Europe must work together on future regulation in the A.I. space.

In his blogpost, Altman echoed the idea of better coordination on the safe development of A.I. rather than multiple groups and countries working separately. He said that one way to do this was by getting “major governments around the world” to set up a project that current A.I. efforts could become part of.

His other suggested alternative was to create a high-level governance body, akin to the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which oversees the use of nuclear power.

“We are likely to eventually need something like an IAEA for superintelligence efforts,” Altman wrote, adding that significant projects should be subject to an “international authority that can inspect systems, require audits, test for compliance with safety standards, place restrictions on degrees of deployment and levels of security.” 

Another common thread from the two CEOs was a belief in the revolutionary impact of A.I. on human society. Altman said that superintelligence “will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past,” while Pichai repeated his famous proclamation—that A.I. is the “most profound technology humanity is working on.”

OpenAI and Google did not immediately return Fortune’s request for comment.

As tech CEOs call for greater government involvement in regulation, some others argue that government regulation of A.I. will hamper innovation and that companies should regulate themselves. 

“My concern with any kind of premature regulation, especially from the government, is it’s always written in a restrictive way,” former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told NBC News this month. “What I’d much rather do is have an agreement among the key players that we will not have a race to the bottom.” 

Growing calls for regulation

A.I.’s potential risks are getting a lot of attention as the technology improves. In a Stanford University study published earlier this year, 36% of the experts surveyed acknowledged that A.I. would be groundbreaking—but said its decisions could lead to a “nuclear-level catastrophe.” Such tools could also be misused for “nefarious aims” and are often biased, directors at the university’s Institute for Human-Centered A.I. noted. The report also highlighted concerns that top companies could wind up with the most control over A.I.’s future.

“A.I. is increasingly defined by the actions of a small set of private sector actors, rather than a broader range of societal actors,” the center’s directors wrote. 

Those fears have been raised at the government level, too. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, a key voice in discussions about anticompetitive practices, warned that A.I. could benefit only powerful actors if insufficiently regulated.

“A handful of powerful businesses control the necessary raw materials that startups and other companies rely on to develop and deploy A.I. tools,” Khan wrote in the New York Times this month. Thus control of A.I. could be concentrated among a few players, leading to the tech being trained on “huge troves of data in ways that are largely unchecked.” 

Other A.I. experts, including Geoffrey Hinton, the so-called Godfather of A.I. for his pioneering work in the field, have pointed out the technology’s risks. Hinton, who quit his job at Google earlier this month, said he regretted his life’s work because of A.I.’s potential dangers if put in the hands of bad actors. He also said that companies should only develop new A.I. if they are prepared for what it can do. 

“I don’t think they should scale this up more until they have understood whether they can control it,” Hinton said, referring to tech companies leading in the A.I. arms race.

Lawmakers have begun discussing regulating A.I. Last month, the Biden administration said it would seek public comments about possible rules. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is working with A.I. experts to create new rules and has already released a general framework, the Associated Press reported. 

“Responsible A.I. systems could bring enormous benefits, but only if we address their potential consequences and harms. For these systems to reach their full potential, companies and consumers need to be able to trust them,” the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Alan Davidson said in April, according to Reuters.

About the Author
Prarthana Prakash
By Prarthana PrakashEurope Business News Reporter
LinkedIn icon

Prarthana Prakash was a Europe business reporter at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Sumeet Agrawal is VP of Product Management (Data, AI Governance & Context Engineering for Agentic Systems) at Salesforce.
CommentaryAI agents
Salesforce VP on the leaky AI pipeline: why cheaper tokens won’t fix enterprise AI
By Sumeet AgrawalJuly 20, 2026
3 hours ago
Artificial Intelligence technology and futuristic technology transformation
C-SuiteCFO Daily
How CFOs can tell if AI is actually creating value
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 20, 2026
4 hours ago
uk
PoliticsSocial Media
France wants to ban social media for kids — but Brussels says the bill breaks EU law
By Samuel Petrequin and The Associated PressJuly 20, 2026
4 hours ago
ryan
CommentaryLeadership
I’ve interviewed 700 leaders. The ones outsourcing their thinking to AI lose their best people first
By Ryan HawkJuly 20, 2026
5 hours ago
Pharmacy technician Brandy Leroy fills a TPN bag using the ExactaMix Pro Automated Compounding System
Startups & VentureTerm Sheet
The FDA’s peptide vote could create telehealth’s next multibillion-dollar market
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 20, 2026
5 hours ago
Tarek Mansour, co-founder of Kalshi, in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 29, 2025. (Photo: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Thanks to $5.7 billion in Kalshi and Polymarket bets, FIFA’s World Cup final may be ‘the largest gambling event in history’
By Andrew NuscaJuly 20, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
2 days ago
Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard
AI
Power companies are using eminent domain to seize land for data centers as 70% of Americans say not in my backyard
By Aaron Walayat and The ConversationJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
Success
Red Lobster’s 37-year-old CEO waited tables before joining the C-suite—he says it was a crash course in managing ‘difficult people and situations’
By Preston ForeJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
Future of Work
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
By Sarah GlodekJuly 20, 2026
10 hours ago
A decade after the ‘Godfather of AI’ said radiologists were obsolete, their salaries are up to $571K and demand is growing fast
AI
A decade after the ‘Godfather of AI’ said radiologists were obsolete, their salaries are up to $571K and demand is growing fast
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 19, 2026
1 day ago
Markets brace for return to all-out war in Iran amid rising U.S. death toll, while former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next
Middle East
Markets brace for return to all-out war in Iran amid rising U.S. death toll, while former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next
By Jason MaJuly 19, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.