Sam Altman wants to treat artificial intelligence like nuclear energy. The OpenAI CEO published a proposal in the Financial Times on July 1 calling for a US-led international forum to establish global standards for AI safety testing and governance, borrowing heavily from the playbook of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
What Altman is actually proposing
The plan centers on unifying AI safety standards among democratic nations first, then engaging strategic rivals like China.
This isn’t Altman freelancing. The proposal follows a June 17 meeting at the G7 summit where President Trump and AI industry leaders, Altman included, discussed building a cohesive regulatory approach to artificial intelligence.
Altman has been working this angle for years. He first testified before the US Senate in 2023, calling for international coordination on AI governance.
