'AI will also present new threats to society' Sam Altman issues stark
warning as $1 billion plan is revealed

Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:50:13 +0000

Description:
Sam Altman says AI could help cure diseases but warns it will also create serious new threats that no single company can control.

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successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Sam Altman says AI could accelerate breakthroughs like disease cures but warns it will also introduce serious new societal
risks Altman admits no single company can manage those dangers alone, calling for a coordinated global response OpenAIs non-profit arm is committing $1 billion to areas like healthcare, economic impact, and AI resilience, including biosecurity Today, Sam Altman announced that the OpenAI Foundation, its non-profit arm , will spend at least $1 billion over the next year on discovering cures for disease.

But alongside that announcement came a stark warning about the new threats AI could introduce and the fact that no single company can deal with them alone. AI will help discover new science, such as cures for diseases, which is perhaps the most important way to increase quality of life long-term, Altman wrote in a post on X . Article continues below You may like 'Companies that are not set up to quickly adopt AI workers will be at a huge disadvantage': OpenAI Sam Altman warns firms not to fall behind on AI - but notes 'its going to take a lot of work and some risk' Altman defends ChatGPT's safety against Musk accusations Sam Altman says ChatGPT water use claims are completely untrue'

He continued: AI will also present new threats to society that we have to address. No company can sufficiently mitigate these on their own; we will
need a society-wide response to things like novel bio threats, a massive and fast change to the economy, extremely capable models causing complex emergent effects across society, and more.

While he remained vague on what those complex emergent effects might look like, concerns about advanced AI systems are not new. Recently, science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson even suggested that forms of AI development leading to superintelligence are too lethal to pursue without limits. AI will help discover new science, such as cures for diseases, which is perhaps the most important way to increase quality of life long-term.AI will also present new threats to society that we have to address. No company can sufficiently mitigate these on their own; we will March 24, 2026 No company can handle
this alone What stands out most here is Altmans admission that no company can handle this alone.

That feels different to his usual messaging around AI progress and feels like a warning. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Altman has often spoken and written about society needing to adapt to AI. But this goes further. It suggests the risks may be too large, too fast-moving, and too unpredictable for even OpenAI to manage on its own.

With that phrasing, Altman is reframing the issue of AI safety from a tech problem into a societal one. (Image credit: Getty Images/Bloomberg) Where the $1 billion is going So where is that $1 billion actually going? What to read next Anthropics Super Bowl ad trolled OpenAI and Sam Altman is fuming Jaron Lanier on how far our empathy should extend to AI 'I dont like it when
doomers are out scaring people': Nvidia on why AI rhetoric damages America's chances to lead in the AI race

While OpenAI now operates with a for-profit structure, the OpenAI Foundation continues to focus on long-term societal impact. Its stated mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. That's where the money is going.

According to the Foundation, it expects to invest at least $1 billion over
the next year across: life sciences and curing diseases, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience and community programs

This forms part of a broader $25 billion long-term commitment.

In healthcare, the initial focus includes Alzheimers research, public health data, and accelerating progress on high-burden diseases.

On the economic side, the Foundation says it is already working with small business owners, unions, and policymakers to explore how AI will reshape jobs and how to respond to the changing landscape. AI resilience AI resilience is one of the most revealing, and potentially unsettling, priorities of the OpenAI Foundation this year.

It includes biosecurity, with OpenAI aiming to strengthen how society
prepares for potential biological threats both naturally occurring and AI-enabled outbreaks.

That phrase "AI-enabled outbreaks" is mildly concerning. It lines up directly with Altmans warning about novel biothreats, and hints at a future where AI doesnt just accelerate progress, but also lowers the barrier to dangerous capabilities.

Spending $1 billion on AI safety and medical progress is, on paper, a
positive step. But what makes this announcement interesting is the tension at its core. Altman is talking about curing diseases and improving quality of life while also warning that the same technology could introduce risks we
dont yet fully understand.

That raises a bigger question: if even the companies building AI are saying they cant control whats coming next, who can? Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/openai/ai-will-also-present- new-threats-to-society-sam-altman-issues-stark-warning-as-usd1-billion-plan-is -revealed


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