Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel?

AI leaders including Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Elon Musk have agreed to slow AI development, citing a need to "pace the frontier" and implement third-party auditors and regulations. Critics, however, view this as an attempt to stifle competition, undermine open-source AI, and avoid legal safeguards, labeling it a "cartel." Despite these concerns, most believe immediate regulation is unlikely, with President Trump dismissing AI fears as a "hoax." Meanwhile, AI labs like Anthropic and OpenAI are actively pursuing Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI), a point where AI can advance without human intervention, which raises new cybersecurity concerns.

Unlike previous discussions on AI safety, this report highlights a new debate: whether the proposed slowdown is a genuine safety pact or a cartel to limit competition.