On Sept. 12, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a blog demanding AI firms pause rapid development to strengthen oversight. He warned that the technology’s ability to self‑improve could outstrip safety protocols, creating unpredictable systemic risks.
Sam Altman and Elon Musk immediately backed the call, while President Donald Trump slammed it on social media, saying only China was pleased. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun countered, calling the move “fearmongering that will disrupt global AI governance.”
Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, AI spending has injected roughly $33 trillion into the S&P 500, propelling half of US GDP growth, analysts say. Jim Morrow, CEO of Callodine Capital, warned that a slowdown could unravel that momentum, while Anthony Saglimbene cautioned that reduced capex would reset chipmakers’ profit outlooks and deepen the 19% decline in the Philadelphia SOX index.
Anthropic is lining up a mega IPO while SpaceX completed the largest IPO ever, yet OpenAI has axed a public offering this year to focus on safety. These moves come as the four tech giants—Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta—are slated to spend over $1 trillion on capex in 2027, tightening their debt‑equity budgets amid rising rates.
Investors now weigh the risk of an AI slowdown against the backdrop of tightening monetary policy, with the Fed’s next meeting poised to decide on rate hikes. Analysts expect any regulatory clampdown could trigger a reevaluation of AI‑driven valuation models across the market.