Sam Altman Declines Senate Invitation on AI Risk Hearing

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has declined an invitation to appear before a United States Senate hearing examining the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence systems, according to Senator Josh Hawley, who extended the offer.

Hawley told the hearing that his office had invited Altman to attend and present his own perspective on the dangers of what the senator described as "rogue AI," but that the OpenAI executive turned the invitation down.

"We extended an invitation to him to be here to do his own panel if he wanted, and he turned us down," Hawley said, according to Anadolu Agency.

Growing scrutiny of AI developers

The exchange highlights the increasing pressure Washington lawmakers are placing on leading AI companies to publicly address safety concerns as generative AI systems become more powerful and widely used. Congressional hearings on artificial intelligence have multiplied over the past two years, with lawmakers from both parties pressing executives at major AI firms to answer questions about potential harms ranging from misinformation to loss of human oversight over autonomous systems.

OpenAI has not publicly responded to Hawley's characterization of the invitation or explained its reasoning for not sending Altman to testify in person.

Lawmakers who have pushed for stronger AI oversight argue that voluntary commitments from AI companies are insufficient without the kind of public accountability that congressional testimony provides. Industry representatives have at times countered that frequent hearings can oversimplify complex technical issues or divert attention from substantive policy work.

It remains unclear whether Altman or another OpenAI representative will appear before the committee in the future, or whether lawmakers will pursue further steps to compel testimony.