In addition to OpenAI's ChatGPT experiencing a surge in popularity, A.I.-generated art and even A.I.-generated photography winning prizes make it clear that the age of A.I. disruption has begun. The so-called Godfather of A.I. recently quit Google because he wanted to speak openly about the dangers posed by A.I.-generated deep fakes.

In his prepared statements, Altman told the senators that "the regulation of A.I. is essential." Altman also called for what he termed "appropriate safety requirements, including internal and external testing prior to release." He also expressed support for licensing and registration of certain A.I. systems.

Altman stopped short of calling for complete government regulation, instead stating that governance schemes must be "flexible enough to adapt to new technological developments" while balancing "incentivizing safety while ensuring that people are able to access the technology's benefits."

Fortune writes that "Altman's advocacy for some rules is not surprising. Technology companies know that regulation is likely coming, and they are trying their best to shape it to their advantage."

The argument is that Altman and other CEOs of A.I. companies may decide licensing allows them to protect the code to their proprietary models. Also, Big A.I. may fear the rise of open-source A.I. models and thus call for licensing schemes which place extra burdens on creators of open-source software.