OpenAI Urges Congress to Clarify Whether AI Slowdown Cooperation Violates Antitrust Laws

TechFlow reports that on September 12, according to Decrypt, OpenAI recently asked U.S. lawmakers whether an agreement among competitors to slow down AI development would violate antitrust regulations. This follows earlier calls from OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki for the AI industry to establish shared safety standards and consider voluntarily slowing R&D progress until developers can more reliably prove system safety.

However, industry observers note that under the dual pressures of commercial and geopolitical competition, it would be difficult for AI companies to independently scale back their R&D pace. Miranda Bogen, chief technology specialist at the Center for Democracy and Technology, cautioned that fierce competition could push companies to rush products to market before their risks are thoroughly evaluated.

At the same time, coordinated attempts by AI firms to limit development speed could raise antitrust concerns. U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Jim Banks have introduced legislation designed to safeguard certain AI collaborations focused on national security risks, while mandating prior notification to the Department of Justice for such partnerships.

Analysts emphasize that the AI R&D race is fueled by massive financial and market incentives. Duncan Sabien, head of communications at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, warned that without a coordination framework, a company unilaterally slowing its progress could simply allow competitors to gain a leading edge.