OpenAI chief scientist warns no one is prepared for consequences of AI

Pachocki added one of the firm's main priorities moving forward would be to build an "automated AI researcher" to keep pace with AI progress while ensuring ways that human researchers could remain part of the process.

The European Union's AI Act came into force on 2 August, which requires AI giants like OpenAI to prove their most powerful models cannot autonomously launch cyber-attacks or evade human control before they are allowed to be sold in Europe.

Nathan Calvin, general counsel at the advocacy group Encode AI, said he agreed with Pachocki on the hazards present in advanced AI model development - but he claimed OpenAI was unwilling to be transparent, and said this meant warnings risked being dismissed as "just self-interested hype".