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

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) – 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 ​AI testing at the U.S. Department of Commerce. The department works with companies such as OpenAI and ​Anthropic to test their models.

Altman wants to ​expand that initiative, the company said in a statement. The ‌companies ⁠aren’t obligated to make any changes to their products based on the outcome of the testing, which Altman does not want to ​change.

Altman’s visit to ​Washington coincides ⁠with a critical period for the company. OpenAI is preparing to ​confidentially file for an initial public ​offering, ⁠Reuters previously reported.

Federal government requirements could hurt the company’s profits if it slows the rollout of ⁠new ​models or prompts OpenAI ​to change how its products perform to address security concerns.