'Big Short' trader Michael Burry slams OpenAI, Anthropic for 'self-serving' calls to slow AI

Key Points:

• Investor Michael Burry criticized leaders of OpenAI, Anthropic, and other tech giants for calling to slow AI development, calling it a self-serving move to mask slowing growth and delay IPOs amid cooling AI enthusiasm.
• Burry argued that large language models (LLMs) are not artificial general intelligence (AGI) and that there is no real need to slow AI progress, framing the calls for regulation as a tactic to stifle competition and hype upcoming IPOs.
• AI executives including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, and Elon Musk have publicly advocated for slowing AI development and increased government oversight, sparking debate over motivations and regulatory capture.
• Critics such as former White House AI adviser David Sacks, venture capitalist Bill Gurley, and Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism about AI companies seeking government regulation, warning against allowing industry insiders to write the rules.
• The Trump administration finalized a voluntary AI evaluation framework in August, while the broader conversation continues on balancing AI safety concerns with innovation and competition in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.