Archive · 15 Sep 2026
AI Leaders Urge Slower Development as Safety Rules Catch Up
Some AI leaders say artificial intelligence could become very powerful very quickly.
They warn that it might create serious dangers for people.
Dario Amodei of Anthropic said companies should slow down their most advanced AI work.
Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of xAI supported this idea.
Slowing down could give governments time to make safety rules.
The article says companies should let independent experts examine their systems.
Countries should also work together to prevent harmful uses such as cyberwarfare and bioterrorism.
However, President Donald Trump said the warned-about dangers will not happen and said the United States should stay ahead of China.
AI industry leaders warned that the technology could pose serious risks to humanity within six months to a year.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei argued for “pacing the frontier” of AI development in a weekend essay.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI founder Elon Musk backed the call for slowing development.
Governments were urged to establish safety standards while preserving innovation and require independent system evaluations.
The article called for international cooperation against dangerous AI uses, while President Donald Trump dismissed the risks and stressed maintaining the United States’ lead over China.
- Who
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, xAI founder Elon Musk, governments, and President Donald Trump.
- What
- AI leaders called for slowing frontier AI development so safety measures and regulations can catch up.
- When
- The warning concerns risks that could emerge within six months to a year; Amodei’s essay was published over the weekend.
- Where
- The article discusses global AI development and international cooperation.
- Why
- The proposed pause would create time to establish safety standards and limit dangerous uses of advanced AI.
Safety and Regulation
Speed and Strategic Leadership
Pacing AI development
Safety and Regulation
AI development should slow down so risk prevention, regulation, and safety standards can catch up.
Speed and Strategic Leadership
The United States should maintain its lead over China, and President Donald Trump dismissed the predicted risks as something that will not happen.
Industry responsibility
Safety and Regulation
Voluntary commitments, such as giving independent evaluators employee-level system access, should become mandatory.
Speed and Strategic Leadership
The article notes that overly hostile responses to AI’s environmental and economic effects could provide companies an incentive to use the breathing space to avoid pressure.
International controls
Safety and Regulation
Countries should cooperate to limit the most dangerous uses of superintelligent AI, including cyberwarfare and bioterrorism.
Speed and Strategic Leadership
International cooperation faces major obstacles because of heightened global rivalries.
- Potential timeframe
- AI could pose serious risks to humanity in as little as six months to a year.
- Proposal
- Dario Amodei advocated “pacing the frontier” of AI development.
- Industry support
- Sam Altman and Elon Musk backed the call to slow development.
- Suggested safeguard
- Independent evaluators could receive employee-level access to AI systems.
- Dangerous uses
- The article cites cyberwarfare, bioterrorism, and large-scale economic disruption.
- Political response
- Donald Trump dismissed the risks and emphasized maintaining the United States’ lead over China.