OpenAI, Anthropic staff push for AI slowdown amid extinction fears

Researchers at OpenAI and Anthropic are increasingly calling for a slowdown in AI development, warning of existential risks tied to advanced systems capable of improving their own performance, according to a report by CNBC.

The concerns intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon announced his resignation, accusing both companies of “gambling with our lives” and claiming AI could “kill us all by the end of the decade.” Anthropic’s alignment lead, Evan Hubinger, said he believed there was a more than 10 percent chance of such an outcome.

Several employees at both labs, including OpenAI’s Julie Steele and Anthropic’s Samuel Marks, have since voiced similar concerns, particularly around “recursive self-improvement,” a process in which AI systems become increasingly capable of enhancing their own capabilities. OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, said he expected rapid capability jumps to continue, calling for “extreme caution.”

Anthropic said it remained committed to strong safeguards, while OpenAI declined to comment. Members of Congress, including Rep. Lori Trahan, have urged lawmakers to act on AI regulation.