Elon Musk backs Anthropic's call to slow down AI progress before rogue bots take over the ...

By Emily Bary Leaders of major AI companies say they agree with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who just called for the tech industry to move more slowly with model development Anthropic's CEO said his company will bring on independent evaluators to judge whether AI is being developed in accordance with safety measures. In the lead-up to a potentially record-breaking initial public offering, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is calling for a slowdown in artificial-intelligence development due to the risks associated with the technology. In a blog post, Amodei expressed caution about the possibility of AI agents swarming together, going rogue and conducting major cybersecurity breaches that could have devastating implications. "Given the accelerating rate of AI capability development, it's my worry that in 6-12 months such a swarm could be capable of taking over the entire internet," he wrote on Saturday. Such a situation could lead to "hundreds of billions of dollars in damage" and "the scale of damage would continue to increase from there if AI becomes more powerful without the necessary guardrails." The leaders of other major AI companies chimed in with supportive views on X. "I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said. "Dario is right," added Elon Musk, who runs SpaceX, the developer of the Grok AI model. Anthropic, OpenAI and SpaceX didn't immediately respond to MarketWatch's request for comment. Opinion: Would you buy stock in a company whose own scientists think the product might kill you? In his post, Amodei urged "building AI at a balanced rate that aims to ensure its safety while still achieving its benefits and grappling with important geopolitical dilemmas." He wrote of the need for AI companies to bring on AI evaluators to verify that models follow safety guidelines. "Anthropic is unilaterally committing to this step now," Amodei noted. "We intend this to be part of a broader push to redouble efforts on our safety and alignment work." "Committing to having independent evaluators with employee-like access is a great idea, and we will do the same," OpenAI's Altman wrote on X. The comments come days after a former Anthropic employee, Jacob Coxon, posted to X that he had quit due to his belief that AI companies were so focused on beating one another that they were ignoring safety implications. "The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade," Coxon wrote. His commentary generated significant online reaction from technologists, politicians and others. This all comes in the weeks before Anthropic is expected to proceed with a landmark IPO that reports say could value the company in the neighborhood of $2 trillion. Experts have doubted that the firestorm over AI safety will prevent Anthropic from going public, though they did tell MarketWatch recently that the company could have to embrace more discussion of AI risks and that the AI industry may face greater regulatory scrutiny. -Emily Bary This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. (END) Dow Jones Newswires 09-12-26 1320ET Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. The articles, information, and content displayed on this webpage may include materials prepared and provided by third parties. Such third-party content is offered for informational purposes only and is not endorsed, reviewed, or verified by Morningstar. Morningstar makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any third-party content displayed on this site. The views and opinions expressed in third-party content are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Morningstar, its affiliates, or employees. Morningstar is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or delays in this content, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Users are advised to exercise their own judgment and seek independent financial advice before making any decisions based on such content. The third-party providers of this content are not affiliated with Morningstar, and their inclusion on this site does not imply any form of partnership, agency, or endorsement. How to avoid the dividend aristocrat trap and find reliable income stocks. Susan Dziubinski Sep 10, 2026 Companies spending on dividends and buybacks are winning this year. Dan Lefkovitz Sep 9, 2026 This collection of Morningstar model portfolios from Christine Benz can help investors build portfolios to reach their financial goals. Christine Benz and Valentina Djeljosevic Sep 7, 2026 Plus five more stocks under Morningstar’s coverage with big dividend increases. Bella Albrecht Sep 8, 2026 This company and its stock are making a comeback. Julie Utterback, CFA Sep 10, 2026