Can AI Companies Really Be Trusted to Regulate Themselves?
- Aug 12, 2026
- 11:31
- Full Episode
ABOUT THE EPISODE
AI is advancing faster than governments can figure out how to govern it. So who should be responsible for managing the risks?
Kevin Werbach, Wharton Professor and Chair of the Department of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, joins us to explore AI governance, accountability, and regulation—and why the challenge isn't simply creating “ethical AI,” but making sure the people and organizations building it are accountable.
The conversation examines the risks of increasingly powerful AI, the difficulty of creating global rules, whether AI companies can effectively regulate themselves, and why governments may need a more constructive role in overseeing the technology.
As AI becomes more powerful, the question isn't just what can we build? It's who is accountable when something goes wrong?
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Brief Summary
Kevin Werbach discusses AI governance, ethical responsibilities, and the challenges of global regulation in AI development.
Key points
- Ethics vs. Accountability in AI. The conversation shifts to the distinction between AI ethics and accountable AI practices.
- The Role of Governance in AI. Kevin Werbach discusses the critical need for governance as AI technology evolves.
- Real Risks of AI Development. A recent incident with Hugging Face highlights the real dangers of AI systems.
Episode highlights
- Ethics vs. Accountability in AIThe conversation shifts to the distinction between AI ethics and accountable AI practices.“It's not the AI being ethical; it's the humans being ethical.”2:03Aug 12, 2026
- The Role of Governance in AIKevin Werbach discusses the critical need for governance as AI technology evolves.“AI is global; we need to think about AI governance globally.”3:54Aug 12, 2026
- Real Risks of AI DevelopmentA recent incident with Hugging Face highlights the real dangers of AI systems.“Now it's real.”6:46Aug 12, 2026
