Barry Diller Discusses the Challenges of AGI Beyond Trust in Leaders

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:18:00 +0200

Billionaire media executive Barry Diller spoke at The Wall Street Journal's “Future of Everything” conference about the growing challenges posed by artificial intelligence, particularly artificial general intelligence (AGI). While Diller personally trusts OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, he emphasized that trust in individuals is not the main issue as AGI development progresses. He explained that the unpredictable nature of AI advances is more concerning than the intentions of its leaders, noting that even creators themselves are often surprised by the outcomes. Diller highlighted that humanity is approaching a transformative phase with AGI, and the unknown consequences could be significant. He stressed the need for establishing robust guardrails to manage AGI safely, warning that without proactive measures, AI could act independently, leading to irreversible changes. Despite his caution, Diller affirmed that he believes most AI leaders, including Altman, are well-intentioned and guided by stron