OpenAI Opposes Strict AI Rules

OpenAI lobbied the European Union to weaken upcoming AI legislation, proposing amendments to the draft version of the EU AI Act, with some of their suggested changes included in the final legislation. The classification of general-purpose AI systems as "high risk" under the AI Act was debated. OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft argued that only companies using AI for high-risk applications should be subjected to strict safety and transparency requirements. OpenAI's lobbying efforts in the EU were partially successful, as the final version of the AI Act does not automatically classify general-purpose AI systems as high-risk. Still, it imposes stricter transparency requirements on "foundation models" like ChatGPT. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's stance on regulating AI has been somewhat inconsistent. While he has advocated for regulation and highlighted the potential dangers of AI, he has also warned that OpenAI might cease operations in the EU market if it cannot comply with the region's AI regulations.