OpenAI's chief scientist calls racing ahead at all costs 'absurd' as safety concerns mount

GaryMarcus · x · 2026-09-07

Gary Marcus amplified a striking quote from OpenAI's chief scientist: "The idea of racing forward at all costs seems absurd once one internalizes the seriousness of the stakes."

The remark follows researcher merettm's long-form essay An Alien Mind, which lays out his concerns about the next few years of AI and the choices needed to keep the future in humanity's hands. A top frontier-lab executive publicly pushing back on the racing narrative is a notable counterpoint to the industry's accelerationist mood.

Related event: OpenAI Chief Scientist Calls Win-at-All-Costs AI Race Absurd(2 posts)→

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