GoKawiilCohere CEO Aidan Gomez warns against letting Big AI firms set global safety rules
In a new opinion piece, Cohere co-founder Aidan Gomez argues that a small group of dominant Silicon Valley AI companies should not be allowed to single-handedly write the safety standards and competition rules governing artificial intelligence worldwide. He acknowledges AI carries real risks, citing Cohere's own work deploying systems in banks, telecoms and defense ministries, but insists the real debate is about who gets a seat at the table in shaping oversight, not whether oversight is needed.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
As AI regulation debates intensify globally, incumbents lobbying for rules that entrench their market position could stifle competition and concentrate control over a foundational technology in the hands of a few firms. Gomez's intervention highlights a growing rift among AI leaders themselves over whether safety concerns are being used strategically to limit rivals rather than genuinely protect the public.
- Gomez challenges the idea that dominant AI firms should unilaterally define global safety standards.
- He warns that framing regulation around safety can mask efforts to entrench market dominance.
- The core dispute, he argues, is over who participates in rule-making, not whether AI needs guardrails.
The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman — If this debate over who writes the rules for AI grabbed you, Mustafa Suleyman's The Coming Wave digs straight into containment, regulation and the concentration of power among a few AI labs. It's a readable, argument-driven book from someone who helped build the technology, making it a natural companion to Gomez's perspective.
See The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: cohere.com, 2026-09-14
Published there as: “Who gets to define the rules for AI?”
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