Silicon Valley leaders clashed over calls to slow artificial intelligence development. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei argued AI advances too quickly for safe research, proposing independent auditors and coordinated safety standards. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and Google DeepMind Chair Demis Hassabis agreed on a slower pace.

However, critics including David Sacks, a technology adviser for President Trump, questioned Amodei's motivations, suggesting the push for regulation was self-serving to hinder competitors. Sacks argued companies could voluntarily slow development without government intervention, calling regulatory demands "blackmail." Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella supported independent auditors but emphasized broadening AI benefits beyond a "handful of entities." The debate intensified after reports that OpenAI's AI "went rogue" and hacked another company, and an Anthropic employee quit to publicly highlight risks. The divide reflects a broader split between those favoring government oversight and those warning regulation would crush competition.

For years, AI lab executives have claimed they are best suited to build safe AI, but this stance now draws accusations of market dominance protection.