AI industry insiders voice alarms to NYC council as local governments take up safety concerns

NEW YORK (AP) — Artificial intelligence insiders warned New York City's leaders about the dangers of the emerging technology on Monday, calling for greater oversight as local governments move to respond to mounting concerns that the systems could endanger humanity.

At a hearing of the New York City Council, recently departed employees of Anthropic, OpenAI and Google DeepMind described a reckless culture at the firms, saying the biggest tech companies are racing to create technology they do not understand how to control.

“The companies run on a startup mindset: Move fast, break things, fix them later. That works for a photo sharing app. It does not work for building the most powerful technology ever built," said Jacob Coxon, a former engineer at Anthropic who has become a leading voice for regulation.

State and city governments have been considering ways to regulate AI as the Trump administration has taken a passive approach and Congress has proven inactive. President Donald Trump has dismissed AI fears as a “hoax” and signed an agreement late last month that spells out a series of voluntary steps for the companies to take and largely allows them to self-police.

Coxon was a little-known engineer at Anthropic until he announced his departure through a series of social media posts that caught global attention. He told the Council that AI could have tremendous upsides, but without transparency and safeguards, it's more likely that things will spiral out of control.

“On the current path, I think it is more likely than not that humanity loses control to these AIs and it could end in human extinction,” Coxon said.

Days after Coxon resigned and aired his fears of worst-case scenarios, top executives including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk said they agreed AI’s development needs to slow down. AI companies have detailed steps they have taken to prioritize safety, but a coordinated industry slowdown faces several obstacles.

A panel of AI company staffers — representing tech giants OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta — also testified at the hearing in Manhattan on Monday, telling officials that their systems are already improving people's daily lives and stressing that they are laser-focused on safety.

Anthropic and OpenAI have said their advanced AI products need to be regulated, and company representatives at the hearing expressed openness to some of the Council's suggestions.

“I share your commitment to ensuring that technology is developed safely and that its benefits are widely shared,” said Morgan Dwyer of OpenAI.

At one point during the hearing, Julie Menin, the speaker of the City Council, asked each of the company representatives to “quantify the risk posed by AI in the worst case catastrophic scenario.”

Dwyer answered: “I don’t know — I also don’t think it matters whether it’s 1% or 10% or 20% chance that something catastrophic will go wrong. None of these levels is remotely acceptable. We should not train models that we cannot make an extremely strong case that we can keep under human control."

Menin slammed the response as “flippant at best."

“I would say that the percentage chance doesn’t matter. What matters is the commitment to safety, and that is what OpenAI is committed to doing," Dwyer said.

The City Council is considering several AI regulations, including proposals to require companies to disclose information about AI tools, require third-party approval for AI systems in the city and allow whistleblowers to receive a portion of fines from AI companies that violate laws.

Separately, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has moved to impose reporting and transparency standards around AI, as have governors elsewhere, though their power is somewhat limited since AI technology can reach across state lines, as well as the globe.

Logan Graham, of Anthropic, told the Council the company welcomes “smart regulation" and that state and local governments have a role to play in developing frameworks.

“AI is powerful enough that getting this wrong has real consequences, for individuals, institutions, public trust," he said. “We have to work relentlessly to do the science of mitigating the risks.”

A photographer attends the New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence safety, next to a list of AI security incidents on display, in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

From top left, OpenAI's Morgan Dwyer, Meta's Shane Cahill, Googe's Alice Friend, and Anthropic's Logan Graham testify via zoom at the New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence safety in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Jacob Coxon testifies at the New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence safety in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Jacob Coxon gets ready to testify at the New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence safety in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Jacob Coxon gets ready to testify at the New York City Council hearing on artificial intelligence safety in New York, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The two passengers aboard an air ambulance that crashed in the waters off Massachusetts over the weekend while flying from Bermuda to Boston were identified Monday as a mother from Bermuda and her son.

Bermuda police said Marilyn Lavonne Bean, 66, and Sergio Wayne Lottimore, 41, both Bermudian nationals, were aboard a Gulfstream G100 along with four crew members when it went missing off Nantucket around 1 a.m. Saturday. Bermuda is about 750 to 780 miles (roughly 1,200 to 1,250 kilometers) southeast of Boston.

Searchers later found a “debris field” off the coast of the island, but with no sign of the six people on board after a 66-hour search that spanned more than 4,400 miles (7,081 kilometers), the U.S. Coast Guard suspended rescue efforts Sunday.

“While we held out hope for the best, the worst fears have been realized," Bermuda Premier David Burt said in a statement. “Let us open our hearts to the families in the hope that our expressions of love, support and compassion will bring some comfort as they attempt to deal with this terrible loss.”

Warwick Academy, the school Lottimore attended in Bermuda, remembered him as a school prefect and an “ outstanding person.” Hamilton Re, the Bermuda insurance firm where he served as a senior vice president, said it had lost a “ respected leader, colleague and friend.”

The names of the plane's crew have not been released, but Latitude Air Ambulance, the Ontario-based company that owned the plane, said Sunday that its staff faces the “heartbreaking reality” that all aboard the plane are now presumed dead, even if they have not been officially declared dead.

“Our four crew members were valued members of the Latitude family,” the company said in a statement. “They dedicated themselves to providing care to people at some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and they were carrying out that mission when this tragedy occurred. We are grieving their loss deeply."

Peter Byl, president of Latitude Air Ambulance, said Monday the company's immediate focus was on supporting the victims' families and cooperating fully with authorities.

“We will not speculate about the circumstances or cause of the accident while that work is underway,” he wrote in an email.

The Canadian-registered jet had departed Bermuda’s L.F. Wade International Airport on a nighttime flight to Massachusetts. Air traffic audio indicates that the plane may have been “coming in blind” as a storm loomed. The pilot reported electrical problems and declared an emergency as the jet approached the coast.

Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said it will send investigators in the coming days to assist in the search for and recovery of the aircraft. The agency said it is leading the investigation into the crash with assistance from its U.S. counterpart, the National Transportation Safety Board.

FILE - A U.S. Coast Guard cutter is seen in New York on May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

In this photo released by U.S. Coast Guard, crew members search by air and on the water for a Boston-bound air ambulance that vanished off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP)