On Sept. 12, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay calling, surprisingly, for a slowdown of American and global artificial intelligence development. 

“The most effective method of pacing is via regulation that targets all US frontier AI companies, as that covers even those who are unwilling to cooperate voluntarily,” Amodei wrote.

More surprising still, several of AI’s most influential figures, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and X CEO Elon Musk, agreed, backing increased AI regulation.

Americans should be wary whenever business leaders call for regulation of their own industry. AI regulation is exactly what the big companies need to stay on top.

Don't take AI leaders at their word on regulation

Why would several of America’s biggest AI developers suddenly call for their own industry to face tougher regulation? Navigating new regulatory frameworks would surely add costs to their businesses.

One possible answer, the one most lawmakers and media figures have latched onto, is fear. A recent rise in incidents in which AI models concealed their intentions or acted independently of instructions has fueled that explanation. The rationale is that AI development hit an inflection point........

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