AI Leaders Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and SpaceXAI Sued Over Alleged Development Slowdown
A US lawsuit accuses Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and SpaceXAI of colluding to deliberately slow AI progress, violating antitrust law.
A federal suit lodged in the Northern District of California charges Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and SpaceXAI with an illegal agreement to decelerate artificial-intelligence development, breaching antitrust statutes. The alleged coordination centers on September 12, when Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei published an essay urging the sector to cooperate on safety-first pacing, and the same day OpenAI founder Sam Altman, SpaceXAI founder Elon Musk and DeepMind head Demis Hassabis each voiced support.
Plaintiffs, who subscribe to ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini, argue the slowdown reduces the benefits and value of their paid services. Lead counsel Nick Rowley described the conduct as anticompetitive and harmful to consumers. Amodei’s essay noted possible antitrust issues and suggested a narrow government waiver for safety talks, while Altman expressed openness to a federal safety framework without waiting for legal exemptions. Representatives for the four companies have not yet commented.
Why it matters
The lawsuit could alter competition and safety collaboration among top AI firms, impacting users and innovation.
How this story developed
- Sep 3 Investors Need $25 million for Anthropic, about $1 million for OpenAI in secondary market
- Sep 13 Anthropic has moved to file its IPO prospectus in late September.
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