"Sudden Concern for Humanity?" "Only China Laughing?" The "Dangerous Calculation" Behind Calls to Slow Down AI

Skepticism has been raised over the sincerity of self-reflection within the U.S. AI industry, which has called for a slowdown in the pace of artificial intelligence development.

The Wall Street Journal reported on skeptical views that major AI companies preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) are utilizing arguments for a slowdown to boost their valuations prior to listing.

As model training costs have surged amid competition to attract investment among leading companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI, halting development could reduce expenses and improve financial structures, the Wall Street Journal analyzed.

Critics point out that while putting forward the "safety of humanity" as a justification, the actual intention is to make financial statements look more attractive ahead of an IPO.

In fact, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated on the 12th that he would postpone an IPO to next year for the sake of AI safety, but OpenAI had already been considering delaying the timing of its listing due to its corporate value falling short of expectations of 1 trillion dollars.

Criticism has also been raised that this is a so-called "regulatory capture" attempt by front-runners to shape government regulations in their favor in order to block the entry of latecomer companies.

David Sacks, the chairman of the White House Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, criticized the move, saying, "AI companies are demanding regulatory frameworks of their own preference in exchange for being regulated," and urged them, "Do not disguise it as altruistic motives."

Amid the hegemony competition between the U.S. and China, limitations are also being raised that the slowdown by U.S. companies will lack effectiveness.

This is because China is unlikely to join in slowing down. Indeed, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pushed back against the claims of U.S. AI companies, stating that "fostering fear and confrontation only hinders global AI governance."

In addition, as public sentiment fluctuates ahead of the U.S. midterm elections due to rising electricity and water utility bills stemming from the construction of data centers, analysis is gaining traction that the political sphere is utilizing the slowdown argument as part of a public opinion campaign.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.