US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized AI industry leaders for issuing warnings about existential risks without providing actionable solutions. In an interview with Axios, Bessent characterized these warnings as alarmist and argued that they lack the leadership required to address the challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
The criticism follows calls from prominent figures, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI head Sam Altman, and xAI CEO Elon Musk, who in September advocated for slowing the development of advanced models. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also previously warned of potential catastrophic outcomes and suggested government oversight.
President Trump has dismissed these risk warnings, labeling them a hoax. Bessent echoed the administration's stance, emphasizing that the United States must maintain its competitive advantage over China in the AI sector. He stated that the government aims for safe acceleration rather than a slowdown.
Bessent noted that responsibility for safety lies with the heads of AI laboratories. He suggested that if executives are calling for regulation, they should be prepared to slow down their own operations. He believes that lab leaders are beginning to accept the necessity of taking personal responsibility for their developments.
