Altman expressed dissatisfaction with Andreessen’s description of meetings with U.S. officials, particularly his concerns about potential regulations favoring only a few major AI companies. Altman shared his own concerns about discussions with the Biden administration, suggesting that the proposed regulations could benefit just a few major players in AI, sidelining others with stricter rules.
Although Andreessen did not directly mention OpenAI, TechCrunch reports that it was implied the company could benefit from such an arrangement. Altman, however, rejected this idea as a “conspiracy theory” in a podcast appearance with Bari Weiss this week.
Altman clarified, “We were present in the room with them, along with other companies and the administration. However, there was never any discussion along the lines of, ‘Here’s our plan — we’ll ensure that only a handful of companies can develop AI, and you must follow our instructions.’ That was never the case.”
Despite the ongoing disagreement, Altman and other tech leaders appear to be distancing themselves from the Biden administration, with reports suggesting millions of dollars have been donated to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.