The complaint, lodged by a group of ChatGPT, Claude, Grok and Gemini users, claims the four AI giants coordinated on September 12 to halt rapid progress in order to curb competition. The claim hinges on Dario Amodei’s essay, which urged industry‑wide slowdown for safety, and the simultaneous public replies from Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Demis Hassabis that echoed the call.
Under U.S. antitrust law, agreements that restrict innovation and raise prices are illegal. The plaintiffs argue that the coordinated slowdown directly harms consumers who pay for premium AI services and that it creates a de facto monopoly on safe‑AI development.
The lawsuit names the defendants but does not yet detail the specific mechanisms of the alleged conspiracy, citing internal communications and public statements as evidence. It also alleges that the defendants’ actions would reduce the value consumers receive from paid subscriptions.
If the court finds merit in the claim, it could force the four companies to abandon joint safety protocols that delay market entry and impose financial penalties on subscribers. The case will advance through discovery, with a preliminary hearing scheduled to determine whether the alleged collusion merits a preliminary injunction.
Defendants have not yet responded to the filing, and the plaintiffs’ attorney, Nick Rowley, insists that the suit is the first step toward preventing private agreements from undermining public safety in AI.