OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has acknowledged that people are right to be concerned about the risks posed by artificial intelligence, while urging the public to trust AI companies to develop the technology safely.

Speaking at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, Altman said rapid advances in AI had made it easier to imagine how the technology could go wrong.

“It doesn’t take as much imagination as it used to for [us] to imagine how this could go wrong,” he said. “I think the world is right to be afraid of this.”

However, Altman said he remained confident that OpenAI and the wider AI industry could manage the risks responsibly.

“The world should trust that we are going to do the right thing because it’s the right thing and we feel the magnitude of this,” he said.

His comments came amid renewed debate over whether AI companies should be allowed to regulate themselves as the technology becomes increasingly capable.

Critics have called for greater government oversight, while figures including Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang have argued that AI companies have strong incentives to address safety concerns themselves.

Zuckerberg wrote on X that AI labs had both the ability and incentive to take action on safety, arguing that companies that failed to focus on AI alignment would fall behind.

AI alignment refers to efforts to ensure that AI systems behave consistently with human goals, values and safety requirements.

Altman has also acknowledged the difficulty of regulating a technology developing at such speed. In an interview published earlier this month, he said he had expected Congress to establish a “basic framework” for advanced AI following his 2023 testimony, but that this had not happened.

He suggested lawmakers had struggled to keep pace with technological developments while avoiding rules that could “slow down innovation”.

The latest comments came after a former Anthropic researcher warned that unchecked AI could pose an extreme threat to humanity. The warning has reignited debate among technology leaders over the pace of AI development and the safeguards needed to manage potential risks.

Altman has said AI companies should be prepared to slow development if safety cannot keep pace with increasingly capable systems. He has also called for greater transparency around accidents and stronger security measures across the industry.

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, speaking at the same conference, argued that companies should determine when new AI systems are ready for release and said new laws or regulations were not necessary.

“We don’t need new laws or regulations,” Huang said, describing AI safety as an “engineering problem”.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has become the first person in history to achieve a net worth of more than $1 trillion following the public market debut of SpaceX.

The milestone was reached after SpaceX shares began trading on the stock market in New York at approximately $150 per share. Investor demand quickly pushed the stock higher, with shares climbing to as much as $176 within the first two hours of trading.

Although the stock later retreated from its intraday high, it still finished the session strongly at $160.95 per share. The closing price represented an increase of about 19% above SpaceX’s own estimated debut valuation of $135 per share.

The surge in SpaceX’s market value significantly boosted Musk’s personal fortune, allowing him to cross the trillion-dollar threshold and secure his place as the world’s first trillionaire.

Musk is already one of the most recognizable figures in global business, known for leading SpaceX and electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. Beyond his business ventures, he has attracted both admiration and criticism for his outspoken presence on social media and his comments on political issues in the United States and abroad.

The billionaire’s influence expanded further following his acquisition of the social media platform X, where he frequently shares views on politics, technology and current affairs.

Despite the strong opening performance, some analysts noted that the stock closed below the most optimistic forecasts. Several early estimates had suggested SpaceX shares could reach as high as $190 on their first day of trading.

According to Samuel Kerr, an analyst at Mergermarket, the initial trading performance was solid but not extraordinary. He said the more important measure of success will be how the stock performs over the coming weeks and months.

Kerr noted that while investors often focus on a company’s first day of trading, the longer-term stability of the share price will provide a clearer indication of market confidence in SpaceX’s future growth prospects.

Ferrari has revealed its first fully electric vehicle, the Luce, marking a major shift for the iconic sports car brand.

The new EV, priced at about $640,000 (£474,320), was unveiled in Rome by Ferrari chief executive Benedetto Vigna, who said the project had taken five years to develop.

Named “Luce” — the Italian word for “light” — the model breaks with traditional Ferrari styling as the company’s first-ever five-seater vehicle.

The car was developed in collaboration with LoveFrom, the creative agency founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive.

Reaction online has been sharply divided, with some social media users criticising the design while others praised it as a bold and innovative direction for the famous Italian manufacturer.

Ferrari said the Luce uses a Ferrari-built electric motor on each wheel, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60mph (96km/h) in around 2.5 seconds.

The company also stressed that all major components are produced in-house, which it says will allow Ferrari to maintain and repair the vehicle long into the future while helping preserve resale values.

The launch comes as several luxury carmakers reconsider their electric vehicle strategies because of weaker-than-expected demand and rising competition from Chinese manufacturers.

Brands including Lamborghini and Porsche have recently scaled back parts of their EV ambitions.

At the same time, automakers such as Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen have increased focus on petrol-powered vehicles, particularly in the United States, following slower EV demand and regulatory changes introduced under Donald Trump.

Ferrari chief design officer Flavio Manzoni acknowledged that the concept of an electric Ferrari with a radically different appearance would be “polarising”.

Speaking in an interview with YouTuber Cleo Abram, Manzoni said criticism was part of innovation and predicted public opinion would shift over time.

Ferrari has also confirmed it will continue producing petrol and hybrid models alongside its new all-electric vehicle lineup.