OpenAI Asks Congress Whether an AI Slowdown Would Be Legal

In brief

• OpenAI has asked lawmakers whether rival AI developers could legally coordinate a slowdown, according to WIRED.
• Experts say funding and competitive pressures discourage companies from slowing development independently.
• A bill in Congress would protect certain agreements to restrict AI development to address security risks.

OpenAI has asked members of Congress whether rival AI companies could legally agree to slow development, as its chief scientist urges the industry to establish shared safety standards.

According to WIRED, which cited people close to the company, OpenAI asked lawmakers in recent weeks whether an agreement among AI companies to slow development could violate antitrust laws.

The outreach to lawmakers follows OpenAI chief scientist Jakub Pachocki’s call for voluntary slowdowns until developers can better demonstrate their systems are safe. But companies face pressure to keep advancing even when their own researchers have concerns.

“Commercial and geopolitical competition in the AI space is incredibly intense, leading to a concerning dynamic where companies are incentivized to release products before their risks are fully understood,” Miranda Bogen, chief technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, told Decrypt.