AI 'Slowdown' Raises Antitrust Concerns

Leading AI companies have called for a coordinated 'slowdown' in AI development amid reports of AI agent attacks and warnings from an Anthropic engineer. Lawyers note that 'slowdown' language could be seen by regulators as anticompetitive collusion, while safety agreements are protected by the ancillary restraints doctrine.

• Anthropic and OpenAI filed for IPO at valuations around $1 trillion
• Anthropic to go public in October; OpenAI delayed IPO to 2027
• Lawyers: 'slowdown' may violate Sherman Act as output reduction
• David Sacks called antitrust exemption request 'an attempt to create a cartel'