San Diego, CA
OpenAI and Anthropic agree to let U.S. AI Safety Institute test and evaluate new models
- The U.S. AI Safety Institute on Thursday announced it had come to a testing and evaluation agreement with OpenAI and Anthropic.
- The agreement allows the institute to “receive access to major new models from each company prior to and following their public release.”
- A number of AI developers and researchers have recently expressed concerns about safety and ethics in the increasingly for-profit AI industry.
OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the most richly valued artificial intelligence startups, have agreed to let the U.S. AI Safety Institute test their new models before releasing them to the public, following increased concerns in the industry about safety and ethics in AI.
The institute, housed within the Department of Commerce at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), said in a press release that it will get “access to major new models from each company prior to and following their public release.”
The group was established after the Biden-Harris administration issued the U.S. government’s first-ever executive order on artificial intelligence in October 2023, requiring new safety assessments, equity and civil rights guidance and research on AI’s impact on the labor market.
“We are happy to have reached an agreement with the US AI Safety Institute for pre-release testing of our future models,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote in a post on X. OpenAI also confirmed to CNBC on Thursday that, in the past year, the company has doubled its number of weekly active users from late last year to 200 million. Axios was first to report on the number.
The news comes a day after reports surfaced that OpenAI is in talks to raise a funding round valuing the company at more than $100 billion. Thrive Capital is leading the round and will invest $1 billion, according to a source with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be named because the details are confidential.
Anthropic, founded by ex-OpenAI research executives and employees, was most recently valued at $18.4 billion. Anthropic counts Amazon as a leading investor, while OpenAI is heavily backed by Microsoft.
The agreements between the government, OpenAI and Anthropic “will enable collaborative research on how to evaluate capabilities and safety risks, as well as methods to mitigate those risks,” according to Thursday’s release.
Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, told CNBC in a statement that, “We strongly support the U.S. AI Safety Institute’s mission and look forward to working together to inform safety best practices and standards for AI models.”
Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, said the company’s “collaboration with the U.S. AI Safety Institute leverages their wide expertise to rigorously test our models before widespread deployment” and “strengthens our ability to identify and mitigate risks, advancing responsible AI development.”
A number of AI developers and researchers have expressed concerns about safety and ethics in the increasingly for-profit AI industry. Current and former OpenAI employees published an open letter on June 4, describing potential problems with the rapid advancements taking place in AI and a lack of oversight and whistleblower protections.
“AI companies have strong financial incentives to avoid effective oversight, and we do not believe bespoke structures of corporate governance are sufficient to change this,” they wrote. AI companies, they added, “currently have only weak obligations to share some of this information with governments, and none with civil society,” and they can not be “relied upon to share it voluntarily.”
Days after the letter was published, a source familiar to the mater confirmed to CNBC that the FTC and the Department of Justice were set to open antitrust investigations into OpenAI, Microsoft and Nvidia. FTC Chair Lina Khan has described her agency’s action as a “market inquiry into the investments and partnerships being formed between AI developers and major cloud service providers.”
On Wednesday, California lawmakers passed a hot-button AI safety bill, sending it to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Newsom, a Democrat, will decide to either veto the legislation or sign it into law by Sept. 30. The bill, which would make safety testing and other safeguards mandatory for AI models of a certain cost or computing power, has been contested by some tech companies for its potential to slow innovation.
WATCH: Google, OpenAI and others oppose California AI safety bill
Hip-hop artist Lupe Fiasco is bringing his “Food & Liquor” 20th anniversary debut album tour to San Diego. Fiasco’s first studio album, “Food & Liquor,” was nominated for four Grammy Awards and the single “Daydreaming” featuring Jill Scott won a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Other singles off his debut LP were “Kick, Push” and “I Gotcha.” 7 p.m. Sunday. House of Blues, 1055 Fifth Ave., San Diego. $49.25-$206.50. 619-299-2583, sandiego.houseofblues.com/shows
Earl Thomas and The Anthony Cullins Band: Earl Thomas and Anthony Cullins will perform two free shows at Lou Lou’s. Thomas is a singer-songwriter who plays American soul, blues and roots rock. Cullins is a songwriter who plays guitar with rhythm and blues, soul, funk, jazz and rock influences. Cullins has also won San Diego Music Awards in the Best Blues Artist category in 2023 and 2024. Seating for both shows is on a first arrival basis and for those 21 years and older. 8 and 10 p.m. Saturday. Lou Lou’s, 2225 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. Free. loulousclub.com
Paul Anka: Singer, songwriter and actor Paul Anka is scheduled to perform his hits from the past seven decades at Humphreys Concerts by the Bay. Some of his songs include “Diana,” “My Way,” “Puppy Love” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.” He has also had songs on the Billboard charts during seven consecutive decades, according to event organizers. 9 p.m. Tuesday. Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, $120-$243. 800-745-3000, humphreysconcerts.com
Yungblud: In February, Yungblud released his fourth studio album “IDOLS” and now he is sharing his new music on his IDOLS world tour with a stop in San Diego. Yungblud mixes punk and rock with his vocals. The English musician has received multiple awards for his music and live performances, including the O2 Silver Clef Award for Best Live Act in 2022. 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Rady Shell, 222 Marina Park Way, San Diego. $88.33. 619-235-0804, theshell.org
Barrington Levy: The Jamaican-born Barrington Levy is back in San Diego with his reggae and dancehall vibes for one night at the Music Box. Levy has been making music since the 1970s and released his first four solo album in 1979. Levy has over 30 albums, with his newest LP “Acousticalevy” in 2015, and collaborated over the years with Bounty Killer, Cutty Ranks and Shyne. Last year, Levy’s 40th anniversary edition of his album, “Prison Oval Rock,” was released. Doah’s Daydream will be opening up the show. 8 p.m. Thursday. Music Box, 1337 India St., San Diego. $57. 619-795-1337, musicboxsd.com
Takuya Kuroda: Brooklyn-based and Japanese trumpet player Takuya Kuroda is taking the stage for a night of jazz at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Last year he released his eighth studio album, “Everyday,” and a collaboration LP, “Add a Zero,” with Chris McCarthy and Sam Minaie. He has worked with hip-hop producer DJ Premier 8 p.m. Thursday. Belly Up, 143 South Cedros Ave., Solana Beach. $25. 858-481-8140, bellyup.com
Carlos Rico, Union-Tribune
San Diego, CA
Feeding San Diego explains the impact of high gas prices on fueling fleet & food rescue
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Gas prices in San Diego County have dipped slightly this week.
But the costs it takes to fill up a fuel tank are getting quite pricey for some food banks.
“We kind of have a triple whammy going on with the fuel situation,” Patty O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer for Feeding San Diego, said.
O’Connor said the first big hit with the current gas prices is bringing the food into Feeding San Diego’s food distribution center.
“We bring about 2 million pounds a month here, and a lot of that is, most of that is rescued food, but we still have to pay for the freight that cost us over $100,000 last month just in freight to bring that in,” O’Connor said.
The organization also sends that food out to the community by truck and by van.
“Every day you’ll see our bright orange trucks going out into the community. We do about 25 deliveries a day, but about 480 over the course of a month, and if you can imagine that costs a lot of money,” O’Connor said.
“In fact, last month, that cost us about $32,000 in just fuel costs. We rely on diesel fuel, and that was twice as much as it was a year ago.”
It’s not only more expensive to fuel the trucks delivering the food, but it’s also more expensive to keep what’s inside them cool.
“And then when we’re loading and unloading, we need to make sure that the trucks are running so that we can keep the food food-safe. So that’s a whole other part of this process that we are managing,” O’Connor said.
Feeding San Diego told ABC 10News they’ve heard from some partners that are on the food rescue side of things that it’s more expensive to drive to pick up those products. So they’ve been able to give some of those partners gas cards to pay for their gas to get food to the community that needs it.
“We look to the community to support us, and so far, um, San Diegans are generous, and they have been generous, and we really do need to continue that generosity so that we can support the struggling families throughout the county,” O’Connor said. “And whatever we can do to support those families, we are going to do so.”
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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