Altman's trust us, we’ll do the right thing line is not reassuring — it’s exactly the sort of self-serving PR you’d expect from companies whose business models reward speed, scale and profit over public safety. We’ve seen time and again how powerful tech firms put growth ahead of labor protections, privacy, and truth; that track record deserves skepticism, not blind faith. AI can amplify surveillance, bias, misinformation and economic inequality, and those risks won’t be handled by voluntary pledges alone. Progressive solutions are straightforward: enforceable safety standards, independent audits, public-interest funding for research, strong whistleblower and worker protections, liability rules, and democratic oversight so decisions aren’t left to a handful of billionaires. Bernie Sanders is right that these are collective choices, not corporate ones. If the industry won’t slow down and open itself to real accountability, Congress and regulators must step in — urgently.
