Tech industry whistleblowers cautioned New York City officials on Monday over the risks of emerging technology, calling for stronger oversight as local governments respond to growing concerns that automated systems could endanger humanity.
At a hearing of the New York City Council, recently departed employees of Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind described a reckless corporate culture, saying tech giants are racing to build technology they cannot control.
"The companies run on a startup mindset: Move fast, break things, fix them later. That works for a photo sharing app. It does not work for building the most powerful technology ever built," said Jacob Coxon, a former engineer at Anthropic who has become a leading voice for regulation.
State and city leaders are seeking ways to regulate AI as the Trump administration maintains a passive approach and Congress remains inactive.
President Donald Trump has dismissed AI fears as a "hoax" and signed an agreement late last month allowing firms to self-police.
Coxon was a little-known engineer at Anthropic until he announced his resignation in social media posts that drew global attention. He told the Council that AI could bring tremendous benefits, but without transparency and safeguards, things are likely to spiral out of control.
"On the current path, I think it is more likely than not that humanity loses control to these AIs and it could end in human extinction," Coxon said.
A panel of corporate staffers representing...
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