Is Big Tech's AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel? The Verge examines
haydenfield · x · 2026-09-15
The Verge's Hayden Field reports that after Altman, Amodei, Hassabis and Musk loosely agreed to slow AI development and "pace the frontier," critics immediately suspected ulterior motives: kneecapping competitors, hindering open source, and dodging real legal safeguards — some called it a cartel.
Key points:
- The three-step proposal, laid out in an essay by Amodei, calls for third-party auditors, domestic lab regulation, and a global slowdown agreement
- It largely echoes long-standing AI safety advocacy, but could become a substitute for regulation that is unlikely under Trump anyway
- Sources across industry say the truth is more complicated, but experts argue AI leaders aren't the right people to lead this charge
- The consensus: proposed solutions need real teeth
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