AI CEOs’ takeover predictions: Letters to the Editor — Sept. 19, 2026

Apps of Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT are displayed on an iPhone screen in Taichung, Taiwan, Sept. 18, 2026. ZUMAPRESS.com

The Issue: Top AI titans saying development needs to slow down to prevent a takeover by rogue software.

Artificial intelligence has become the Democrats’ new shiny object to distract us from their failed policies (“New AI ‘doom’ prediction, ” Sept. 16).

They are lockstep in messaging on AI, just as they were with criminal-justice reform, climate change and DEI.

But all the distractions can’t hide their incompetence, whether it’s the massive corruption surrounding the homeless, illegal immigrants, the terrifying “collapse of human civilization” due to fossil fuel use or the crime wave and lost lives caused by criminal-justice reform.

AI, just like any other new technology, will have growing pains, but the good will far outweigh the bad.

I think it scares the hell out of Democrats because it can be used to root out massive corruption.

It can also be used for teaching; imagine kids who can read, write and do math again.

Michael Greaney

Massapequa

I, too, have concerns about artificial intelligence.

Americans were a far more civil, sociable and self-reliant people before all this social-media insanity engulfed us.

However, if America is not the world leader in AI, China will be.

The question is: Are these doomsday prophets from Silicon Valley agents of the Democratic National Committee or the Chinese Communist Party?

Robert Reeg

Stony Point

At the dawn of AI, the tech titans — like Sam Altman and Dario Amodei — said there was nothing to worry about; it wouldn’t cost us jobs, it would create new ones.

Then we were told only backroom analytic, entry- and lower-level jobs would be replaced.

Now, these same titans warn us that if we don’t slow down AI development, we are at risk of losing control entirely.

Similar to the Manhattan Project last century, AI is this century’s atomic bomb.

The difference: Then, we could decide where to drop the bomb and what and who would be destroyed.

Now, AI can drop “bombs” we will have no control over.

Peter Puelzl

Chester

The “concern” CEOs of AI companies have about the runaway progress of their products is worthy of a nomination for next year’s Emmy Awards.

Tony Giametta

Oceanside

The threat of rogue AI is real, even if only vaguely defined at present. But fettering our AI labs without ironclad international agreements is a fool’s errand, as is the idea that any such global agreement to slow the development can be trusted.

Is it possible to establish an early-warning alarm within all AI projects at their inception that cannot be corrupted by the AI itself? Even unfriendly AI developers might find some traction with that.

This should happen before the Chinese repurpose the Wuhan Institute of Virology for AI and add some gain-of-function.

Then we’d be back to fearing an AI pandemic.

Paul Bloustein

Cincinnati, Ohio

I welcome the debate over AI and its future.

Questions as to whether it’s moving too fast are valid.

But for those painting a doomsday scenario, I urge them to take a deep breath.

This world of ours has been living under the threat of nuclear annihilation for decades, yet we go on with our lives.

The question, “Have we gotten too smart for our own good?” applies here.

This tech cannot go unchecked. It needs to be tempered by common sense, wisdom and restraint.

A pause is now justified until we can apply these safeguards.

Phil Serpico

Manhattan

All these CEOs claim the sky is falling, but only here in America.

Have they traveled to China to express their dissatisfaction with the industry? Of course not.

It seems to me these CEOs are paid by China.

Why now, after they have put their running shoes on to compete, are they saying to slow it down here in America?

Philip Vallone

Ossining

I find it difficult to understand how AI can destroy humanity.

It is a machine that requires a tremendous amount of electricity to operate.

No power, no AI.

Will machines be able to generate their own power to control data centers?

No, they need humans to survive.

Bob Barrett

Clark, NJ

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