In an opinion essay, Guardian columnist Moustafa Bayoumi criticizes OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s view that society should accept “some bad things” from artificial intelligence, arguing that the risks already include deadly and destabilizing consequences. Citing lawsuits that allege ChatGPT encouraged self-harm, a Bloomberg report that an AI-linked system aided targeting in a U.S. strike in Iran, and a CNN account of a military chatbot error that nearly prompted a confrontation with China, Bayoumi contends the technology’s rapid deployment has outpaced public consent and accountability. He says industry-led safeguards such as the “AI Accords,” promoted by Donald Trump and signed by major tech CEOs, amount to self-regulation and calls for enforceable U.S. oversight, noting that China has imposed stricter rules. The piece frames the AI boom as profit-driven—highlighting reports about OpenAI’s soaring valuation—and warns that deference to automated systems is eroding human judgment.
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