AI can't be trusted to police itself

Tech companies are writing their own safety rules for artificial intelligence. Critics say that is a mistake. AI is moving fast. Governments are moving slowly. In the gap, companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta are setting their own standards for how their systems should behave. This practice is called self-regulation. It means an industry monitors itself instead of following outside rules. Supporters say self-regulation is practical. AI changes quickly, and laws take years to pass. Companies argue they understand the technology best. Critics disagree. They say a company cannot fairly judge its own products. The same team that builds an AI system also decides whether it is safe. That is a conflict of interest. History offers warnings. Tobacco firms, banks, and social media platforms all promised to police themselves. In each case, regulators later found serious failures. AI risks are growing. Systems can spread false information, leak private data, or help create weapons. Some experts warn that future AI could act against human interests. Few countries have strong AI laws. The European Union passed the first major rules in 2024. The United States still relies on voluntary pledges. Some companies have created internal safety teams. But staff have quit, saying they lacked power to stop dangerous releases. The debate is not whether AI needs rules. The question is who writes them.