Amodei's call to slow AI development sparks reactions from tech leaders and politicians

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay over the weekend titled "We Must Pace the Frontier," outlining three steps to moderate the pace of AI development: independent third-party evaluators to verify companies' adherence to safety commitments, coordination among leading AI firms in democratic countries on shared standards, and broader coordination between democratic and authoritarian governments where possible. Amodei said Anthropic is unilaterally committing to the first step, and clarified that pacing does not mean halting model training, but rather giving companies adequate time to ensure their models are safe before third parties confirm it.

Industry leaders voice support

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he agrees with Amodei, noting the topic has been central to internal discussions at OpenAI in recent weeks. He also backed the idea of independent evaluators and expressed hope for a federal framework setting consistent safety requirements across frontier AI companies. Altman warned of two risks: losing control of the future to AI, and excessive concentration of power. Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also publicly endorsed Amodei's position.

Politicians split on the issue

US President Donald Trump pushed back against the idea of slowing AI on Truth Social, arguing that a strong president is the only oversight needed and accusing critics of a "sick conspiracy" against AI and data centers. Vice President JD Vance said it feels like a "trojan horse" for tech companies to ask government for regulation, pointing to ongoing competition with China. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would be willing to convene a meeting with industry leaders to find the right balance between safety and national security, while rejecting a full moratorium. Senator Bernie Sanders voiced support for the view that AI development should be paused for humanity's sake.