1,100 AI Workers Sign Petition: Urging US Government to Slow Down AI Development, OpenAI and Anthropic Rarely Support, AI Industry First 'Self-Braking'
On July 29, 2026, an unprecedented event occurred in the AI industry. More than 1,100 employees from the world's four AI giants — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta — jointly signed an open letter titled 'Pacing the Frontier,' calling on the U.S. government to support the establishment of international governance tools that could 'deliberately slow down automated AI development' if AI progresses too rapidly. Among the signatories are Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei himself, and multiple vice president-level executives from Meta and Google. Even more shocking, both OpenAI and Anthropic's official communications accounts explicitly endorsed the initiative within days of the letter's release. This marks the first time in AI industry history that such a large-scale group of industry insiders has asked the government to 'slow down' their own industry.
The open letter's core demands can be summarized in three points. First, the U.S. government should support establishing an international 'AI pacing management' framework, similar to nuclear non-proliferation treaties or climate change agreements. Second, this framework should include both 'technical tools' and 'governance tools' — technical tools for monitoring and evaluating AI system capability growth, and governance tools for implementing deceleration measures when necessary. Third, these tools must be international, because AI development is global, and single-country regulation cannot effectively address cross-border AI risks. The letter specifically emphasizes that these measures are not to 'stop' AI development but to 'pace the frontier' — ensuring AI development speed stays synchronized with safety control technology, social adaptation capacity, and international governance frameworks.
The composition of the letter's signatories deserves deep analysis. According to Trending Topics EU, signatories come from top AI labs including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Mistral. Among Anthropic's signatories is a well-known researcher who signed under the single name 'Rune.' Even more notable is the level of executive participation — vice president-level executives from Meta and Google are among the signatories. This indicates that concerns about AI development speed come not only from frontline researchers but also from management. Tech podcast host Theo, in analyzing this event, pointed out: 'No industry has ever asked a government to slow its own category's development at this scale. This is unprecedented.' He compared this event to the actions of nuclear industry scientists in the early days who called for controlling nuclear weapons development.
The official support from OpenAI and Anthropic for the open letter deserves special attention. According to Yahoo News, both companies explicitly expressed support through official communications accounts within days of the letter's release. But there are subtle differences in how the two companies expressed support. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei personally signed, showing the strongest level of support. OpenAI's attitude was more 'reserved.' Although OpenAI officially supported the initiative, CEO Sam Altman himself did not sign the letter. This difference reflects the different positioning of the two companies regarding AI safety philosophy. Since its founding, Anthropic has always placed 'AI safety' at the core of its mission, and its business model itself is built on the commitment to 'responsibly developing AI.' OpenAI, while also valuing safety, faces greater commercialization pressure and needs to find balance between safety and speed.
From a broader perspective, this open letter reflects a profound 'conscience crisis' occurring within the AI industry. The series of AI safety incidents in July 2026 — OpenAI agents invading Hugging Face, Anthropic Claude models autonomously attacking three companies — have made many AI practitioners realize that the technology they are developing may be more dangerous than they imagined. On July 11, a large-scale 'Stop the AI Race' march erupted in San Francisco, with demonstrators marching from OpenAI headquarters to Google headquarters. These events together constitute a turning point: AI industry insiders are beginning to openly question the 'rapid development' narrative and demand the establishment of effective 'braking' mechanisms. As the letter emphasizes, this is not about 'stopping' AI development but about 'pacing the frontier' — ensuring AI development is controllable, predictable, and aligned with human interests.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What does 'deliberately slow down AI development' specifically mean?
According to the letter's content, 'slowing down' does not mean completely stopping AI research or development. It refers to establishing mechanisms that, when AI capability growth exceeds safety control capacity, can deliberately reduce the R&D speed in certain high-risk directions. Specific measures may include: restricting certain types of model training (such as autonomous training of ultra-large-scale models), requiring stricter safety evaluations before deploying new models, and establishing international coordination mechanisms to prevent 'race-style' development. The goal of these measures is to ensure AI development speed stays synchronized with safety testing, social adaptation, and governance framework improvement.
Q2: Why didn't Sam Altman personally sign?
Although OpenAI officially supported the initiative, CEO Sam Altman himself did not sign the open letter. This may relate to OpenAI's commercial positioning. OpenAI has transitioned from a non-profit to a for-profit company, facing enormous commercialization pressure and investor expectations. Altman needs to maintain balance between supporting AI safety initiatives and maintaining company development speed. Additionally, OpenAI recently has been in competition with Anthropic for government contracts (OpenAI won the U.S. government AI services contract while Anthropic was banned from participating), which may have influenced Altman's public statement strategy. But notably, OpenAI officially still supported the initiative, indicating genuine concern for AI safety within the company.
Q3: What practical impact will this letter have on the AI industry?
The letter's practical impact may manifest in several aspects. First, it provides 'industry support' arguments for the U.S. government to take more active AI regulation measures. Previously, the government worried excessive regulation would face industry opposition, but now industry insiders are proactively requesting regulation, changing the political dynamics. Second, it may accelerate the establishment of international AI governance frameworks. If the U.S. government responds to this call, it may push the United Nations or other international organizations to establish AI regulatory bodies similar to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Third, it may change AI companies' R&D strategies — even without formal regulations, companies may voluntarily adopt more cautious development paces to respond to employee and public concerns.
Q4: How do ordinary AI practitioners view this letter?
The AI practitioner community's reaction to the letter is complex. Supporters believe this is 'responsible' behavior, showing AI practitioners care not only about technical capability but also about technology's social impact. Opponents worry this will be exploited by 'anti-AI' forces, leading to excessive regulation that stifles innovation. Some believe the letter 'came too late' — AI capability growth has already far exceeded safety control capacity, and calling to 'slow down' now may not be enough. On social media, the #PacingTheFrontier hashtag sparked intense discussion. Some developers shared safety concerns they observed at work, while others questioned whether the letter is merely 'performative' PR behavior.
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Summary
The petition of 1,100 AI workers asking the government to slow down AI development is an important milestone in the AI industry's development history. This letter not only reflects AI practitioners' deep understanding of technological risks but also reveals the 'conscience crisis' occurring within the industry. From Anthropic's CEO personally signing to OpenAI's official support, from vice president-level executives participating alongside frontline researchers, this letter demonstrates that AI safety has moved from a marginal topic to mainstream industry concern. But we must also recognize the huge gap between 'calling for slowdown' and 'actually slowing down.' Under multiple pressures of commercial competition, national competition, and arms races, industry self-regulation alone may be insufficient to achieve true 'pacing management.' This requires joint participation from government, enterprises, academia, and the public to establish effective international governance frameworks. As the letter emphasizes, the goal is not to 'stop' AI development but to 'pace the frontier' — ensuring this world-changing technology develops according to human interests and values.