The Sen Times

Big AI wants to slow down AI research. Is it a safety pause or a strategic retreat?

September 14, 2026 (Conversation) Over the weekend, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called for artificial intelligence (AI) companies, including his own, to slow down their work. Sam Altman and Elon Musk, heads of rivals OpenAI and xAI respectively, agreed. The move reflects concern across the AI industry and more broadly about the dangers of new, rapidly improving systems. Recent high-profile incidents such as OpenAI AI agents hacking another company and hijacking a public website have shown current systems can break out of safety confines and even more capable systems are in development. Further complicating AI safety is the tension