OpenAI is working with rivals Anthropic and Google DeepMind on AI safety as some of the industry’s top executives call for slowing the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
The three companies have been discussing safety for several weeks, OpenAI global policy chief Chris Lehane said today, according to Bloomberg News.
“It’s better to try to work together to prioritize safety,” Lehane said at a briefing in Washington, according to Bloomberg.
The discussions are significant because OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are fierce competitors developing some of the world’s most advanced AI models. Their talks suggest the companies are looking for areas where they can cooperate on safety even as they continue competing to build more capable systems.
The talks come days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for the industry to slow the pace of frontier AI development so safety measures can keep up. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk subsequently expressed support for Amodei’s concerns.
One potential complication is antitrust law, which generally limits coordination among competitors. Amodei has proposed an antitrust exemption that would allow AI companies to coordinate on slowing development.
Lehane said OpenAI does not believe such an exemption is necessary for its current safety discussions with Anthropic and Google DeepMind. He pointed to discussions among airlines to collaborate on safety.
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson separately expressed skepticism about companies seeking antitrust exemptions while also asking Washington for AI regulation, Reuters reported.
Lehane, who was in Washington meeting with lawmakers, also said OpenAI would support bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing catastrophic AI risks, according to Bloomberg.