AI May Automate Development of Stronger AI, Anthropic CEO and 1178 Practitioners Call for US to Lead Slowdown

According to Counterpoint Beating monitoring, 1178 employees from leading AI companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta have released a joint statement titled "Pacing the Frontier." They are calling for the U.S. government to lead the establishment of an international mechanism that would allow countries and AI companies to collectively slow down research and development when necessary. The statement does not call for an immediate halt to training but rather preparation in advance for the technological and governance tools needed to control the pace of development.

They are concerned that advanced models could soon autonomously conduct extensive AI research and continue to assist humans in developing even more powerful models. If the pace of development were to suddenly accelerate, humans might not have sufficient time to comprehend, control, and regulate these advancements. Individual companies are also hesitant to slow down on their own as it could potentially put them at a competitive disadvantage.

The signatories include Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI Chief Scientist Jakub Pachocki, Chief Research Officer Mark Chen, and Meta AI Chief Scientist Shengjia Zhao. Both OpenAI and Anthropic have subsequently publicly endorsed the statement on behalf of their companies.