Sam Altman has called for urgent international regulation of artificial intelligence, highlighting that the rapid pace of development demands coordinated global oversight.
Speaking at the AI Impact Summit in the Indian capital, the OpenAI chief executive said the world may need a body similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency to manage risks posed by advanced AI systems.
He argued that powerful new tools, including open-source biological models, could potentially be misused. “There will be extremely capable biomodels available that could help people create new pathogens,” he said, stressing the need for a “society-wide approach” to mitigate such threats.
Balancing openness and safeguards
Altman maintained that broad access to AI technology is essential for progress. “Democratisation of AI is the best way to ensure humanity flourishes,” he said, cautioning that excessive concentration of power within a single company or country could prove harmful.
At the same time, he acknowledged the necessity of guardrails. “We obviously need regulation, urgently, as we have for other powerful technologies,” he told delegates.
The annual AI Impact Summit has drawn leading technology executives and policymakers to discuss the governance of increasingly capable computing systems.
Rising concerns over AI’s social impact
The explosive growth of generative AI has driven significant commercial gains, but it has also heightened concerns about its consequences. Researchers and campaigners have warned about risks including job displacement, sexualised deepfakes and AI-assisted online fraud.
Altman suggested that an international coordination mechanism, modelled on the IAEA, could help governments respond swiftly to emerging challenges. “The next few years will test global society as this technology improves at a rapid pace,” he said. “We can choose to empower people or to concentrate power.”
He added that while technological disruption often reshapes employment, history shows that new opportunities eventually emerge.
India a key growth market
Highlighting India’s importance in the global AI landscape, Altman revealed that ChatGPT now has around 100 million weekly users in the country, with more than a third believed to be students.
