Source: Fortune
Summary
Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic and a prominent AI safety researcher, spoke at the Vatican alongside Pope Leo XIV, warning that the AI industry needs outside supervision to ensure its moral obligations are met. Olah, an atheist and former devout evangelical Christian, emphasized the importance of doing the right thing as AI companies drive forward innovation. He noted that companies are influenced by incentives, and outside critics, including the Catholic Church, scholars, and governments, must keep the industry’s moral obligations at the forefront.
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Chris Olah’s presence at the Vatican was a peculiar one, given his background as an atheist and co-founder of a major AI company. His comments emphasized the need for outside supervision of the AI industry, aligning with Anthropic’s mission and the Pope’s encyclical. Olah’s journey from a devout evangelical Christian to an atheist and AI researcher is a unique one, marked by his work at Google Brain and OpenAI. His emphasis on safety and interpretability in AI development is a departure from some industry insiders, who argue that “trust and safety” concerns are part of a demoralization campaign against technology.
As the AI industry continues to grow, Olah’s comments serve as a reminder that the line between innovation and responsibility is often blurred.
Author: Evan Null
