Sam Altman said he misjudged the level of public distrust toward AI companies working with governments after OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon, calling it a warning sign for broader confidence in democratic systems.
Speaking to Laurie Segall, he acknowledged that a vocal group of people no longer trusts governments to act within the law, but argued that collaboration is still necessary—especially in areas like cybersecurity and biodefense.
Altman stressed that governments should remain more powerful than AI companies and take the leading role in shaping how the technology is used, framing it as one of the most important questions the world will face.
He pointed to major historical projects led by governments as proof that critical technological decisions should stay in public hands, not private labs.