Microsoft-Backed OpenAI Pushes for Federal Regulations

07:26 AM EDT, 09/10/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI said Wednesday that it is pushing for mandatory national safety regulations and endorsing four California bills to govern artificial intelligence development. Chief scientist Jakub Pachocki has highlighted the need for extreme caution regarding the rapid rise of machine intelligence and potential self-improvement, OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, said in a blog post. OpenAI is calling for voluntary industry standards and international frameworks to manage risks and preserve human control, Lehane wrote. OpenAI will slow or halt the development of advanced models if necessary to maintain safety standards under its preparedness framework, Lehane added.