OpenAI's policy chief says the window for AI safeguards is closing—act now

The AI policy window is open. We need to act.

OpenAI's Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane published a post urging Congress to pass mandatory, capability-based national AI safety rules. While waiting for federal action, OpenAI endorsed four California bills: SB 813 (infrastructure for independent safety assessments), AB 1405 (AI auditor standards), SB 1119 (youth protections), and AB 1864 (safeguards against AI-enabled bio threats). The company also pledged to co-develop frontier AI standards with other labs and push for international alignment on capability measurement, risk management, and human control. Lehane cited Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki's call for 'extreme caution' on recursive self-improvement and confirmed OpenAI will slow or stop development if safety bars aren't met. The post does not disclose a legislative timeline or voting dates for the California bills.