OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is urging US policymakers to take immediate action to prepare for the advent of advanced artificial intelligence, warning that the technology is rapidly transitioning from theoretical to practical applications in the economy. In a recent interview, Altman noted that AI systems are already performing tasks that previously required teams of skilled programmers, such as coding and research. He predicted that future models will further accelerate scientific discoveries and enable individuals to accomplish tasks that currently require entire teams. This shift is particularly evident in the field of cybersecurity, where industry leaders believe that AI is tipping the scales in favor of attackers.
According to Charles Guillemet, Chief Technology Officer at Ledger, AI tools are reducing the cost and expertise needed to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities. Tasks that once took months to complete, such as reverse-engineering code or linking multiple vulnerabilities, can now be accomplished in seconds with the right prompts. The crypto industry suffered losses of over $1.4 billion in attacks last year, and Guillemet suggested that this figure could continue to grow.
Moreover, the increasing reliance on AI-generated code may introduce new vulnerabilities on a large scale. To respond to these challenges, Guillemet advocated for stronger defenses, including mathematically verified code, hardware devices that store private keys offline, and a broader recognition that systems can fail. Altman also highlighted the potential risks of AI in cyber and biosecurity, noting that it could facilitate more powerful cyberattacks and lower the barrier to harmful biological research. Such threats may emerge within a year, making coordination between government, tech firms, and security groups urgent.
'We're not far from a world where open-source models are highly capable in biology,' he said. 'The need for society to be resilient to terrorist groups using these models to create novel pathogens is no longer theoretical.' Altman suggested that a 'world-shaking cyberattack' could occur as early as this year and that avoiding it would require significant effort. He framed OpenAI's policy ideas as a starting point for debate on how to manage systems that learn quickly and operate across multiple fields. Using AI to help defend against these potential attacks is crucial, he said.
On the potential nationalization of OpenAI, Altman argued that the case against it relies on the need for the US to achieve 'superintelligence' before its rivals do. 'The biggest case against nationalization is that we need the US to succeed at building superintelligence in a way that aligns with democratic values before someone else does,' he said. Altman believes that companies involved in AI must work closely with the US government.
As the CEO of OpenAI, Altman has a financial stake in the evolution of the sector, which may influence how he frames the urgency of regulation and the role of private companies like OpenAI in managing emerging risks. Altman also sees AI becoming a utility, like electricity, embedded across devices as the cost of basic intelligence falls and top systems remain expensive. 'You'll have a personal super assistant running in the cloud,' he said.
'If you use it a lot or use it at high levels of intelligence, you'll have a higher bill one month, and if you use it less, you'll have a lower bill.' Altman emphasized that it's 'incredibly important that people building AI are high-integrity, trustworthy people.'