In Other News · United States · Business

Source: Axios

A small cadre of elite AI researchers is wielding extraordinary influence inside OpenAI and other leading companies, challenging executives, shaping policy and complicating negotiations with Washington.Why it matters: As a safety crisis has unfolded across the industry, it's an open question who is doing more to shape the national AI debate — top researchers or the executives they report to.The researchers, some of whom are among the most highly paid and sought-after scientists in the world, are outspoken online and have repeatedly clashed with company strategy.The big picture: The situation has the makings of a grassroots uprising, where any potential deal the companies may strike — with the Trump administration, one another, or even globally — will also have to pass muster with their top scientists.Behind the scenes: OpenAI, Anthropic and others at the frontier of AI aren't like other companies.Many began years ago as idealistic research labs with scientific cultures that prized openness and collaboration.To function, and to continue to build better and better models, the companies need highly specialized machine learning researchers and scientists to push the frontiers of what's technologically possible.The trouble is, the best of those researchers are in extraordinarily short supply.Last year's talent wars drove...