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OpenAI Cancels Release of New Model Over Safety Concerns; Investigation Reopened Into Alleged Gang Rape at Cornell; Vulnerable Iowa Republicans Join Trump for Steel Announcement. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired September 29, 2026 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[06:00:03]

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: Today in the group chat, OpenAI scraps yet another model over safety concerns. Could that change the tone of today's big tech meeting at the White House?

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS P. GIUFFRA, ATTORNEY FOR JANE DOE, CORNELL 7 CASE: I don't know how anybody who was grossly intoxicated and drugged can consent to anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Prosecutors reopening the case of an alleged gang rape at Cornell. What could they find now that they didn't before?

And Jack Smith finally gets his say. He's going to be talking to Senate Republicans today about his Trump investigations. Could today's hearing, however, lead to new criminal charges?

And Senate candidate Ken Paxton's estranged wife with a midterm message for the women voting red in Texas. She's going to talk about what she describes as the elephant in the room.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. Here is where we begin.

Those A.I. executives are all going to gather at the White House. This is happening in just a few hours, and it's happening in this context, where people are calling for more regulation. In fact, one company hitting the brakes on its own.

OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, says it has scrapped plans to release a cutting-edge new model next month over safety concerns. Now, OpenAI says the model didn't, quote, "didn't quite meet the bar for safety." And safety is what many leading A.I. executives are worried about.

The president and his allies, less so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): This is what Democrats do every election cycle. They find something to glob onto and say that this is doom and gloom, and everyone will die if we don't win. Don't buy it. It is a Chinese psyop. I really believe that. It's not a conspiracy theory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss Ashley Gold, senior technology correspondent at "Semafor."

Just so we understand about this model that was scrapped, I was reading it was two things. One, alignment. Basically, is this technology going to do what we ask or what it wants?

And tell me what the second one was. The other issue they were worried about, I think it was it kind of going beyond its instructions.

ASHLEY GOLD, SENIOR TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT, "SEMAFOR": Going beyond its instructions, and not listening to sort of the internal rules the company has set for what it thinks A.I. should do, and sort of going against its own orders in order to go to the next level to --

CORNISH: Yes.

GOLD: -- to show that it's advanced technology. But in this case, it wasn't balanced with the needs of the users and safety.

And I have to say that it's -- it's a real change of pace for an A.I. company like OpenAI to be proactively going out, giving an interview to the "Wall Street Journal" while the story broke.

CORNISH: They did.

GOLD: And saying, hey, we thought about putting this out, but we're showing that it wasn't ready, and we didn't rush it.

CORNISH: We are responsible people you should invest in and let us regulate ourselves.

GOLD: And this is them sort of sort of signaling --

CORNISH: Yes.

GOLD: -- we can self-regulate when we need to.

CORNISH: And they're doing it ahead of this meeting, like, hours --

GOLD: Yes.

CORNISH: -- ahead of this meeting where you're walking into a, you know, a group of people who either, A, think this is the new climate change mongering and shouldn't be taken seriously, or B, we should really be doing something. And let's be very aggressive about what those somethings are.

GOLD: Absolutely. So, this was a prime example of saying, hey, if Congress isn't going to pass rules, is there -- if there's not going to be any sort of international regulation, as people were saying last week they wanted at the United Nations General Assembly, here's what we can do to sort of say we can slow down and be good actors ourselves.

CORNISH: Yes. And we should say Australia had a database hacked. The U.N. had some databases hacked. Like the people who are like --

GOLD: A lot's been happening.

CORNISH: -- let's regulate. Yes. Are, like, wait a second, we have been hacked. You don't have this under control.

Can you help me understand the "this is a China psyop rumor -- rumor mongering"? This is something you've probably heard in this world, as well.

GOLD: Yes.

CORNISH: What is the truth and fiction of China and of our conversation around A.I.?

GOLD: So, there have been -- there's been reporting that there are some Chinese actors sort of trying to sow discord on social media and gin up anti-data center sentiment.

I don't think that all of those claims are true. I think that there are some basis to what Speaker Johnson was talking about. But it's been a -- it's been a talking point among folks that are pro-data center expansion, pro-A.I. innovation, and not doing tons of safety rules, to say --

CORNISH: Yes. And is it fascinating when considering their position on interference into elections. And also, the fact that a lot of these protests are, like, real people with real bodies.

[06:05:04]

GOLD: Absolutely.

CORNISH: I think all around the country, yes.

GOLD: Beyond any idea that maybe there's Chinese meddling, people are genuinely upset about data center expansion. They're genuinely worried about A.I. safety.

So, you know, this is a real electoral issue beyond what he's saying.

CORNISH: Yes. The pope.

GOLD: The pope.

CORNISH: Of course, he made it his first encyclical, which meant like his first sort of offering to the public. And I want to play for you. I think we have something he was saying yesterday when someone brought to him this idea of, are there too many fears around A.I.? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH: If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I'm not. I sleep at night.

I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in A.I. should be taken seriously. I don't think that that is a fake news, as some have said, to try and cause whether financial or some other kind of benefit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Loving Da Pope, as he is called, who is clearly up on the tech in ways I don't hear from lawmakers.

One other thing I want to ask you about: Nvidia, which is the computer chip maker, right? Not the apps or anything like that. They unveiled a new safety system. I think they call it Sentry.

How is it different from all of the sort of -- I don't know -- testing that the companies are doing on their own already?

GOLD: Nvidia is saying that their system can sort of check things that the A.I. companies themselves can't check and have these security things built in and sort of -- instead of sort of just happening as they go along, which is what the A.I. models are doing now.

CORNISH: Yes. So, there's like a technical boundary.

GOLD: A technical boundary that's sort of set in stone.

CORNISH: Instead of just shouting at it, vibes like, hey, go do this. And then being shocked it doesn't do it the way you want. That's my very not-technical description of how testing happens.

GOLD: It's sort of putting it in a system that, like, has balances and checks in place that are -- that are sort of hard boundaries, and we'll see if it works.

But these systems are changing so quickly. It's hard to know if a system like that can keep up with all the changes.

CORNISH: And again, just announced before this White House meeting. We're going to have to check in with you after to hear what happened at this meeting or if anything happens in the aftermath, given some of the new ideas that the White House has brought up.

GOLD: Yes.

CORNISH: Thank you so much for being here.

You guys, I want you to stay with us, because coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, we're going to turn to Iowa, of all places, where Republicans are having a tough midterm election season.

There's a bunch of them standing beside President Trump at the White House, because he announced plans for a new steel plant there. We're going to ask the group chat if that was worth the political risk.

And later, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has a new ad about her welfare reform program. And it's getting blowback from conservatives. So, is this once-winning issue now a problem?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:12:19]

CORNISH: So, the president says that a $15 billion steel plant is coming to Iowa. And he says it's going to put jobs and economy front and center.

Here's the thing. The political backdrop in the Oval Office, there were two Iowa Republicans who are facing tough races in the midterms.

In the latest polling, Republicans are trailing in the Senate and in congressional races and in the governor's race. So, the group chat is here to discuss: White House correspondent for "USA Today," Francesca Chambers; political consultant and Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha; and political strategist Ashley Davis.

OK, so I want to start with you, Francesca, because I hear, A, he's going to announce this plant, but aren't there other projects? Aren't they going to, like, other cities talking about kind of economic projects that might be on the way?

FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "USA TODAY": Right. And so, you're seeing cabinet members out there on the campaign trail, but never in their official capacity. They can't do that.

But they can go out, and they can be on the campaign trail if they don't use their titles.

Vice President J.D. Vance was just in Iowa earlier this month. President Donald Trump says that he will also be going to Iowa.

But you talk about the political backdrop yesterday. And at one point, he said that Ashley Hinson is someone who's hopefully going to be going to the United States Senate from the Oval Office.

And I know that we're very used to this from President Trump at this point, but it still matters in terms of what it is that they're trying to communicate from the White House.

The most valuable thing that any president has is their time. And while the president is going to all these different places, you know, to campaign over the next 35 days. He's also using the Oval Office and the trappings of the White House we've seen in recent days to campaign for Republicans, or at least if not outright campaign, give them a boost.

CORNISH: Yes. I mean, to me, in some ways it makes a lot of sense. We remember Biden with his infrastructure projects. To me, it's -- I'm actually shocked that it's taken this long to realize you need to get out there and say, here are the jobs. Here's what we have for you. I don't know which one of you want.

I mean, I don't know. Yes. He's so excited about -- go. You're like.

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I'm just like that because it's -- it's Tuesday. I love Tuesdays, guys. But this is the message that they should have been on the whole time. We've talked about --

CORNISH: You just love them spending all their time in Iowa instead of Michigan or wherever.

ROCHA: And, you know, there's been pretty shocking polls that came out this week. And again, polls are polls. You all could save your breath on the poll stuff.

But we shouldn't even be spending money in Iowa right now. It's pretty much a dead heat. And this, I give the president, Republicans credit. This is what they should have been talking about for the last six months, because this is what people get. Even farmers in Iowa, working-class folks like steel mills, auto plants, fertilizer. We get that in Iowa. And this is the message they should have been on. I think it's a little too little, too late.

CORNISH: Well, and it's also not directed at the people most frustrated, I would say possibly farmers. The president says Iowa voters love him. He's like, look, the polls are fake.

[06:15:06]

To your point, a recent Marist poll says 51 percent of registered voters there actually disapprove of the job that Trump is doing. Let me play for you what he's been saying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I got more votes than anybody in history during the last election. All three, I went up, up, up, and I think I'm more popular now than I was then.

I love Iowa, I've always been very strong with Iowa.

I think the polls are inaccurate, because I won it by so much. And it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't be right up there with me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Can you guys talk about what are the odds here? I mean, when you're looking at someone like Ashley Hinson, you mentioned she's a former state rep. She's actually a former news reporter. So, you know, face recognition there.

But what she also is, it's looking like in the polling, not as far behind -- sorry, very far behind Josh Turek, the Democrat. What's going on, why Turek has been able to advance.

CHAMBERS: I mean, it's in the margin of error at this point in the race. It's very, very close. CORNISH: Yes. Although I just -- I don't want you to look wrong.

CHAMBERS: I can't see what you're --

CORNISH: Fifty percent over 42 percent in the recent poll.

CHAMBERS: You're looking. Sure.

CORNISH: And he -- he is a three-time paralympic medalist. He's a professional wheelchair basketball player in Europe.

CHAMBERS: Some polls have it as close as the margin of error. Not that one that you just put up on screen there. But I mean, look, they're facing in Iowa the same challenges that we're seeing in these other Senate races and these other house races across the country where the economy, which I know is Chuck's -- Chuck's favorite topic here to talk about where the economy and voters' pessimistic feelings about the economy are -- are overriding in this race.

And to a point where you see the president and the vice president making these trips to, you know, to Iowa, which is not a place where you would expect them to -- to be this, you know, late in the midterms at this point.

And I do want to point out something you said before about, you know, the cabinet members who are going out. Some of them are going out and directly campaigning.

Some of them are going out, and they're promoting these projects just to go out to places in their official capacities to promote all of these economic projects, as well. They're doing everything that they can at this point, going to places like Iowa, Kansas.

CORNISH: It feels very --

ASHLEY DAVIS, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: I think everyone's forgetting about Joni Ernst. I mean, every time she has run, it's been a really close race.

I mean, I don't think it's abnormal that Republicans are -- and Democrats are super close in this race. I've heard many times that Ashley is one of the best candidates that we have. I think the Democrats have a good candidate, as well.

But I was always -- I mean, one of the reasons Joni didn't run was because she knew it was going to be a -- a fight for her life. So, I think that this is not abnormal. I think money is always spent in Iowa, and internal NRSC polls have her definitely tied.

CORNISH: Or we'll see. I think it's one of the states we pay attention to, like Michigan for Democrats.

DAVIS: Yes.

CORNISH: Iowa tells us something about the president's actual economic policies because of the way people there specifically-- DAVIS: I just remember losing Iowa under Bush. So, I just think like,

you know, I don't always solve.

CORNISH: Ashley's Bush era.

(CROSSTALK)

CHAMBERS: -- state at the presidential level.

DAVIS: I do.

CORNISH: We'll share a story for you later. So, stick around.

We've got to turn to this serious news first. The man who once prosecuted Trump is actually going to be on the Hill today. So, could Jack Smith end up in legal trouble after facing Republicans?

But first, prosecutors are reopening a serious sexual assault investigation at Cornell. We're going to talk about what they may have missed the first time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:22:55]

CORNISH: Cornell University is now defending its handling of the alleged gang rape of a former student. This amid a civil lawsuit and the reopening of the case by New York state prosecutors.

The former student, only known as Jane Doe, says that seven members of the fraternity drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2024.

Now, the fraternity was closed and banned from campus, but no one was criminally charged, and the D.A. says that her original statement described her participation as consensual.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIUFFRA: I don't know how anybody who was grossly intoxicated and drugged can consent to anything.

MATTHEW VAN HOUTEN, TOMPKINS COUNTY, NEW YORK DISTRICT ATTORNEY: She -- she told the police candidly what she remembered, and maybe she remembers more now. And if she does, then we want to put that in front of the grand jury.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss, Alyse Adamson, a former federal prosecutor.

So, I actually want to start with the D.A. Right? So much of it is coming down to this.

He's been asked multiple times if she wrote a statement. Why didn't you interview her? Why didn't this case go further the first time around? And here was his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN HOUTEN: When you have a comprehensive six-page, single-spaced document that was extremely detailed, extremely candid, extremely specific, we are not going to reach out to her and say, Hey, what you said didn't allege a crime. Can you give us more so we can charge somebody? That's not ethical.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: As a prosecutor, is that ethical or not ethical?

ALYSE ADAMSON, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, Audie, I just -- I kind of disagree with the framing there.

I mean, I'm going to caveat and say, I'm sure there's a lot we don't know. And there is a lot that goes into charging decisions.

That being said, and this is as a former prosecutor, typically, even after a statement, the victim is interviewed independently. And my understanding from the initial reports here is that after that statement was submitted to the D.A.'s office, the D.A. made the decision not to pursue the case without following up.

[06:25:13]

So, I think there is a real question about the adequacy of the investigation, if all of that reporting is true. Granted, six pages is pretty detailed, but that does not, in any way, make up for sitting with the victim herself, discussing and making sure no details were let out -- left out. I mean, that is just part of a thorough investigation.

CORNISH: Also, her attorney had this response basically about that statement. Let's hear from him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Giuffra: And the fact is she went to the Cornell University police to file a complaint, because she believed she was a victim of a crime.

If this was consensual, she did -- wanted to participate, she wouldn't have gone to the police in the first place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Right now, we're in the mode of a civil suit, right? Even though this might be reopened, the civil suit was filed earlier this month.

And in it, they say, look, what happened to the guys that we allege were involved, that two of the seven of them were expelled and that others received lesser, lesser punishments, suspensions, including having to write an essay on their conduct. Cornell released a statement saying, "None of the individuals charged

were offered the opportunity to write essays as a sole consequence of their involvement. Any suggestion that the university did not impose consequential punishments for those involved is false."

Can I underscore that part, "consequential punishments"? Is this relative to a civil case?

ADAMSON: I mean, these are two very -- these are two separate proceedings. OK?

What happened at Cornell? Their investigation was a Title IX proceeding, where the university itself conducted an investigation and then made a determination about what punishments it felt appropriate.

Here. They're calling them consequential punishments, although, again, we've reporting is that only two expulsions occurred.

Again, we don't know the evidence. That's part of the problem. Right? There's so much unknown here.

The civil suit is different. Now, we're in court, and now the victim, the accuser. is seeking a legal remedy for what occurred to her.

And now, we have this third proceeding, which is the D.A. going before the grand jury to investigate whether a crime has occurred.

So, I think there's a real question. When you say consequential punishment, is that adequate, if there, indeed, was a crime?

And again, my question, Audie, is why wasn't there more investigation? I agree with what was said earlier that why would she file? Why would she file a police report or a complaint if she didn't feel like something happened?

And the allegations here are truly horrendous. The level of intoxication that she alleges alone would give very, very serious questions about her ability to consent.

So, again, why a single statement was considered enough to determine whether or not a criminal crime, a crime had occurred, I think is an open question. And I think we -- we should be happy that the grand jury is now investigating, and the evidence will be before them to consider.

CORNISH: OK. That's Alyse Adamson, following this case for us. Thank you so much.

And straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, former special prosecutor Jack Smith is now going to face Republicans on Capitol Hill. Could their questions put him in legal trouble?

A former federal prosecutor on this next. And please join Laura Coates for a CNN all access special, "Lindsay Clancy: What Comes Next?"

Laura is going to be joined by legal experts. We're going to ask. We're going to answer your questions about the case. Submit those questions now at CNNAllAccess-questions@CNN.com. And you can join in with Laura and her guests at 8:30 this morning Eastern for the conversation.

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