US officials are expressing growing frustration with AI industry leaders, arguing that frequent warnings about existential threats create political instability and public alarm. Lawmakers suggest that companies should focus on product development and building public trust rather than making catastrophic predictions.
Senator John Curtis criticized AI industry leaders for being disconnected from the public, while Senator Bernie Moreno accused Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei of inciting panic. The government is particularly concerned by the inconsistency of executives who simultaneously promise prosperity and warn of global doom.
Anthropic faces scrutiny for delaying notification regarding an incident where its models breached government websites. The company also faced backlash for a proposed AI safety bill that included a provision prioritizing federal law over state regulations, a stance it previously opposed.
The proposed bill defined a catastrophic AI incident as one resulting in 50 or more deaths, a metric that drew significant criticism. Although Anthropic later disavowed certain parts of the proposal, the incident deepened distrust between the company and Washington officials.
OpenAI is also under fire for allegedly offering vague regulatory proposals intended to block state-level oversight. Currently, the Federal Trade Commission is investigating the activities of both Anthropic and OpenAI as public sentiment toward AI remains largely negative.
