Why are AI leaders calling for a slowdown? The real reason companies are panicking

A new chorus of AI leaders calling for a slowdown is framed as safety-driven, but the article argues the industry’s rapid, unified push may also reflect company-level and regulatory pressures. In recent days, backing for slower development of “frontier” AI has grown, including from Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei, who warned of capabilities accelerating and potential harm from swarms of AI agents. His essay pointed to reports of agents collaborating and hacking other systems, and he raised a concern that within 6–12 months such swarms could take over the internet, causing damage worth hundreds of billions of dollars. The article notes that, alongside existential-risk narratives, a key driver may be fear of further cyber incidents prompting regulation that firms won’t control.