The core governance problem for AI companies shares similarities with the nuclear industry, which managed to self-regulate.

(Image credit: Andrey Suslov/Getty Images)

The largest artificial intelligence (AI) firms increasingly understand that they are hostages of one another. If one firm pushes ahead recklessly, others may feel compelled to follow. If one deploys a dangerous model without adequate safeguards, others may see it as a green light to do the same.

The debate over AI has centered on what governments should do to regulate this frontier technology. That remains essential. But a more immediate question is emerging: Can the companies building these powerful systems take action independently before they lose credibility and suffer legal consequences?

Akhil Bhardwaj is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Organization at the University of Bath, UK. He studies extreme events, which range from organizational disasters to radical innovation.…