SAN FRANCISCO: Artificial intelligence leaders OpenAI and Anthropic are intensifying warnings about the potential risks of advanced AI systems even as both companies push ahead with increasingly powerful technologies and prepare for possible stock market listings.
The two San Francisco-based firms, best known for developing ChatGPT and Claude respectively, have recently renewed discussions about the long-term dangers of artificial intelligence, particularly the possibility that future AI systems could improve themselves with limited human involvement.
Anthropic last week described such a scenario as plausible but uncertain, while OpenAI suggested it could emerge within the next few years. Both companies argue that advanced AI could accelerate scientific discovery and drive breakthroughs in medicine, technology and economic productivity if managed responsibly.
At the same time, the companies have proposed stronger international cooperation to oversee the development of frontier AI systems. Anthropic has suggested a mechanism that could temporarily pause the advancement of cutting-edge models under certain conditions, while OpenAI has again advocated the idea of a global body to monitor AI development.
The renewed focus on safety comes as both firms seek fresh sources of funding. OpenAI and Anthropic recently confirmed preliminary steps toward potential initial public offerings (IPOs), which analysts view as preparations for future market listings.
The timing has prompted criticism from some technology experts and industry observers. Critics argue that the companies may be emphasising future risks to strengthen their public image and appeal to investors, while continuing to accelerate development of increasingly capable AI systems.
Others contend that the most immediate concerns are not hypothetical future scenarios but current issues such as job displacement, expanded surveillance and the growing concentration of technological power among a small number of companies.
The debate highlights the growing tension between rapid AI innovation, commercial competition and calls for stronger safeguards.
