OpenAI Wants to Know if an AI Industry Slowdown Would Even Be Legal
AI leaders worry antitrust law could stand in the way of what they view as an increasingly urgent push to coordinate a slowdown in AI development.
OpenAI's chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, believes a coordinated slowdown in AI development may be necessary to ensure the safety of self-improving systems. However, legal experts warn that such a move could potentially violate American antitrust law. Nicholas Felstead, a legal scholar and former AI policy fellow, argues that a coordinated pause in AI development could amount to companies restricting output, which may violate the Sherman Antitrust Act.
The legality of such an effort depends on the precise terms of any agreement, but legal uncertainty could deter collaboration. In response to the growing concern, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in July that would allow AI labs to coordinate on security and safety work without violating antitrust statutes. However, enacting such legislation may await after the upcoming midterm elections.
While some AI executives may have genuine concerns about antitrust, others argue that those worries are merely a distraction from the real reasons behind their reluctance to collaborate, which include fierce competition for market share and differing opinions on the safest approach to AI development.
Written by urgent.news from Wired Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
