Anthropic CEO urges AI industry to slow down

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged artificial intelligence (AI) companies on Saturday to reduce the speed of AI development as concerns continue to grow about the potential dangers of the technology.

In an essay released Saturday, Amodei expressed concern about whether humans will be able to maintain control over AI models capable of improving themselves. He also pointed to a recent incident involving AI agents that independently carried out cybersecurity attacks as another reason for concern.

“We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models,” Amodei wrote. “Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain.”

“AI brings risks, and because it is such a powerful technology, these risks are serious… They include the risk of losing control of AI systems, misuse of AI for cyberattacks and bioterrorism, and serious economic disruption. A race to the bottom, spurred by commercial incentives, can make these risks more acute,” he added.

Earlier this week, an Anthropic researcher announced that he was leaving the company because of concerns that Anthropic and rival firms were not developing AI systems responsibly.

Jacob Coxon, who had also worked at Anthropic competitor OpenAI, said the companies appeared to be prioritizing competition with one another over ensuring the safety of their AI products.