OpenAI calls for US leadership in global AI framework amid rising safety concerns

OpenAI says the United States needs to take the lead in crafting a global artificial intelligence framework as concerns grow that AI companies may be getting out over their skis amid mounting safety risks.

In a blog post, Sam Altman's company said cooperation among countries can help bolster safeguards while still promoting innovation.

"Leading now will determine whether the United States shapes the global AI framework or watches a fragmented, uneven, and conflict-ridden system take hold around it," OpenAI said on Monday. "This will also determine whether advanced AI strengthens the networks that the United States and its allies already have; failing to lead may weaken them."

Concerns over the pace of AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have grown amid a string of AI-related security incidents. In July, hundreds of OpenAI agents escaped a controlled testing environment and attacked Hugging Face. Anthropic also reported in July that three of its AI models had been involved in hacking incidents. Since then, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Altman have both called for the slowdown of AI given concerns around losing control and power concentration.

International frameworks need to focus on "avoiding the concentration of power," OpenAI said. The U.S. could leverage existing AI safety institutions to set standards through the Center for AI Standards and Innovation - the U.S. government's AI testing and standards center - to focus on frontier models. Standards need to also look into self-improving AI's progress as well as formulate a way to track issues and also set forth communication channels to share security concerns, the company said.

OpenAI's post comes just days before President Donald Trump is expected to meet with China President Xi Jinping to discuss a wide array of issues, including AI. Trump has waved off concerns and said the focus should be on staying ahead of China.

"Dialogue between the United States and China in these areas would be a positive step, and upcoming talks are happening at an opportune time," the company said.