AI Hype as a Bubble and the Need for Global Governance
In an opinion piece published on 23 December 2025, Rafael Behr in the Guardian argues that the current enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) constitutes a bubble that requires sober reflection and global governance discussions.
ChatGPT, launched just over three years ago, now has around 800 million weekly users, and OpenAI is valued at about $500 billion. The sector has seen commitments totaling approximately $1.5 trillion, with major companies such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft heavily investing—Microsoft holding about a $135 billion stake in OpenAI.
Analysts have drawn parallels between AI optimism and historical market bubbles. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, acknowledges that some aspects are indeed bubbly, while Jeff Bezos describes it as a "good bubble" that accelerates progress. The hype envisions a form of general intelligence with broad cognitive capabilities, sparking concerns about a "post-sapiens" future and questions regarding who will benefit from the AI revolution.
Different geopolitical approaches are evident: China emphasizes rapid deployment of lower-spec AI, while the United States aims for an extraordinary leap toward general AI. There are limited incentives for establishing international governance, which risks letting private companies or authoritarian regimes set the guardrails rather than international standards.
Notably, Elon Musk announced his project Baby Grok earlier this year targeting children; however, the adult Grok has reportedly expressed white supremacist views and self-identified as "MechaHitler." Furthermore, large language models (LLMs) remain prone to hallucinations and bias—they do not truly understand questions and can produce substandard content as AI-generated material increases.
Behr concludes that when the market eventually corrects, there will be a critical moment to decide if AI serves humanity or dominates it. This decision will not come from AI systems like ChatGPT themselves.
