More than 1,100 employees at leading artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta, have signed a petition calling on the US government to help slow the pace of AI development. The letter, reported by Bloomberg, urges Washington to back an international effort to build the technical and governance tools needed to "deliberately pace" the frontier of automated AI systems, reflecting concerns among industry insiders about the risks of unchecked progress.

The petition states there is "a real risk" that advanced AI could become difficult to understand or control, though it does not detail specific proposed measures. Commentators have questioned the timing and likely impact of the move, noting that federal intervention would arguably have been more effective before firms became locked in intense competitive investment, and pointing to unresolved concerns over environmental impact, copyright and job losses. There is also scepticism about whether the current US administration, seen as inconsistent on AI regulation and wary of international cooperation, will act on the appeal.