TNB Tech Minute: Bessent Responds to AI Safety Concerns

0:00This episode is supported by Anthropic, the team behind Claude. Every business wants to move faster. Few can afford to be wrong. That's why the brands you trust also trust Claude. Here's your afternoon TNB Tech Minute for Tuesday, September 15th. I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal. House Financial Services Committee members questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Besant today regarding AI risks. Besant stated the Treasury Department has focused on AI safety since the limited release of Anthropoc-Claude's METHOS models and argued against giving AI labs liability exemptions. The best way to guarantee safety is that the creators are liable for what they build and generate.

0:44Addressing AI labs going public, Besant noted that liabilities must be clearly detailed in S-1 filings and prospectuses, though added that quantifying those risks may be difficult. On global competition, he advocated for expanding U.S. open-source models. Crypto exchange CoinX said it's shutting down, citing a prolonged market downturn and rising compliance costs. The closure comes less than three months after a journal article highlighted its popular use among Iranian users, including those linked to the Islamic Republic. According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, Iran-linked wallets processed over $3.8 billion through CoinEx since 2019.

1:27CoinEx pledged to block Iranian users following the report. CoinEx's founder said the decision to shut down was years in the making and not directly caused by curtailing Iranian operations. Finally, federal regulators are probing whether Tesla's steering-wheel-free CyberCab conflicts with federal safety standards. In an order published today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration asked Tesla to confirm if the cybercab can be driven by a human using temporarily attached manual controls. The EV maker's two-seater robo-taxis lack pedals, mirrors, and a steering wheel, and currently operates paid rides in Austin, Texas.

2:07Tesla has said it plans to eventually sell the cybercab to the public. Although Tesla claims the design meets all safety rules. Selling a vehicle without traditional controls is unprecedented and may conflict with federal regulations. Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the agency declined to comment. And that's your TNB Tech Minutes. Check back in the morning for another quick tech update. See what's next at claude.ai.