US lawmakers send a letter to OpenAI requesting government access

US lawmakers, including Senate Democrats and an independent lawmaker, have sent a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressing concerns about the company's safety standards and whistleblower treatment. The letter, reported by The Washington Post, includes a request for OpenAI to commit to making its next foundation model available for pre-deployment testing by U.S. government agencies. Lawmakers also seek assurance that OpenAI will allocate 20% of its computing resources to AI safety research and implement measures to prevent theft of its AI products by malicious actors or foreign adversaries. This scrutiny follows whistleblower allegations of inadequate safety protocols for the GPT-4 Omni model and claims of retaliation against employees raising safety concerns. In response to these issues, Microsoft and Apple recently withdrew from OpenAI's board, despite Microsoft's significant investment in the company. Additionally, former OpenAI employee William Saunders expressed concerns about the potential existential risks posed by the company's future AI developments, comparing it to the Titanic disaster. He emphasized the right of AI sector employees to alert the public about possible dangers associated with rapid advancements in synthetic intelligence. The situation highlights ongoing regulatory challenges facing OpenAI and the broader AI industry amid increasing calls for accountability and transparency.