OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

OpenAI's Altman to urge US lawmakers not to require AI model approvals

· CNA · Join

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

WASHINGTON, June 3 : OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will advocate against proposals that AI developers obtain U.S. government approval before releasing new models to the public, according to a company statement on Wednesday, as part of a broader effort to shape regulation of the technology.

Altman, who is visiting Washington this week, will ask Congress to increase funding for artificial intelligence testing at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The department already works with companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic to test their models.

OpenAI wants the U.S. government to grow that initiative, the company said in a statement, and add scientists with expertise in cybersecurity, biological weapons and national security, among other topics. 

Altman's visit to Washington coincides with a critical period for the company and the industry. OpenAI is preparing to confidentially file for an initial public offering, Reuters previously reported. Competitor Anthropic, which makes Claude, confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO on Monday. 

Federal government requirements could hurt the industry's profits if they slow the rollout of new models or prompts the companies to change how their products perform to address security concerns.

Altman is scheduled to meet with members of Congress on Wednesday, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, the speaker said. The Trump White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about any meetings. 

Source: Reuters

Newsletter

Week in Review

Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review

Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here