Opinion Today: A group of experts on what to do about A.I.
Safety mechanisms have always been critical to new technology.
Opinion Today
September 21, 2026
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Ben Hickey

Notable

He was The Times’s Moscow bureau chief. My grandmother was his censor. “She censored like her life depended on it, because it did.”

— M. Gessen, an Opinion columnist

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Less talk about Trump’s hair. More about his harms. “I don’t care about how foolish he does or doesn’t look as he tries to deny the ravages of age. I care about how foolish he has made the rest of us look — and how profoundly he’s ravaging our country.”

— Frank Bruni, a contributing Opinion writer

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The celebrity fantasy of political neutrality. “Opting out of taking political stands is, in and of itself, a political stand: a politics of self-interest.”

— Roxane Gay, a contributing Opinion writer

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Spotlight

A drawing of a tree growing wildly, in jagged branches, beyond the cage that partly surrounds it.
Mathieu Larone

Bernie Sanders and 5 Others on What to Do Now About A.I.

‘I remain an optimist about what A.I. can deliver. That optimism requires taking its risks seriously.’

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ICYMI

We’re not just losing control of A.I. We’re giving it away. “This is the tragedy of their work. In fighting against the prophecy, they have drawn it tighter around their throats — and ours.”

— Ezra Klein, an Opinion columnist

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More in Opinion

An image with a photograph of Donald Trump’s eyes superimposed on a flag of China.

Guest Essay

America Is Blundering Toward War With China

The U.S. has long misunderstood Beijing, and Trump’s mixed signals aren’t helping.

By Robert D. Kaplan

An illustration of a beige wasteland marked primarily by electrical poles in the distance and a small pile of outdated computer equipment sitting at the foot of a billboard. The billboard itself displays a verdant futuristic city and the words “Welcome to Silicon Valley.” The road running in the foreground has a large pothole marked with an orange cone.

Guest Essay

Paris Has the Arc de Triomphe. Florence Has the Uffizi. Silicon Valley Has a Big Shopping Mall.

The center of the tech industry is culturally barren because wealthy executives have no interest in communities outside their fiefs.

By Arielle Pardes

Rocks and bricks in front and behind a panel of metal bars.

David French

Vance Has a Twisted Idea of What It Means to Be American

I am a “heritage American,” too. How should that guide my life?

By David French

An illustration of a woman and girl in silhouette facing each other. The girl seems to be floating as her torso is not visible, while the woman’s whole body is in view.

Guest Essay

Go Ahead and Laugh at Mediums. They May Be On to Something.

Research shows there could be benefits to sensing those we’ve lost.

By Sarah Wildman

An illustration showing people holding a football player over their heads.

Guest Essay

The Billionaire-Free Packers Stay True to the Game

The community-owned Green Bay Packers are growing more globally popular in an N.F.L. dominated by billionaire owners.

By Robert J. Geline

In Your Words

Re: The Kennedy Center Is Trump’s Most Grotesque Obsession

Read more Opinion comments here, and check out our Letters to the Editor.

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