AI stocks fall after CEOs unite behind calls for slowdown

Artificial intelligence-related stocks fell across global markets after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a more measured pace of AI development, raising concerns among investors about the potential impact of tighter oversight on the rapidly expanding technology industry.

Amodei urged AI companies and governments to slow the development of increasingly capable models and put stronger monitoring systems in place to address the risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence.

In an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier,” published Saturday, Amodei argued that the development of AI should continue but warned that its potential risks are serious enough to require additional safeguards and time for policymakers to respond.

His proposal outlined a three-part framework involving independent monitoring of AI models during development, regulation across the industry and broader international regulation.

The proposal received support from several prominent technology leaders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Altman said he agreed that the AI frontier needed to be paced and supported the idea of giving independent evaluators employee-like access to AI companies.

The debate comes as concerns over the potential consequences of increasingly powerful AI systems have intensified within the technology industry.

Earlier this month, Anthropic researcher Jason Coxon, who previously worked at OpenAI, announced his resignation and raised concerns about the way leading AI companies were approaching the risks associated with advanced systems.

The latest warnings have also reached financial markets, where investors appear increasingly sensitive to the possibility that regulation or a slowdown in AI development could affect the enormous investments flowing into chips, data centers and related infrastructure.

South Korean semiconductor companies were among those hit hardest, with SK Hynix shares falling more than 6% and Samsung Electronics declining more than 4%.

In Japan, SoftBank, one of OpenAI’s major investors, saw its shares drop about 10%, reflecting broader concerns over the potential impact on companies heavily exposed to the AI sector.

European technology and semiconductor stocks also came under pressure during early trading.

ASML, a major supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, fell more than 5%, while Nokia declined around 8% and Infineon dropped more than 7%.

Other companies with exposure to AI infrastructure, including Siemens Energy and Schneider Electric, also recorded declines.

The sell-off extended to the U.S. market, where major semiconductor companies saw significant losses.

Micron shares fell around 7%, Intel dropped approximately 6% and Nvidia declined more than 3% as investors reassessed the outlook for continued rapid AI spending.

Several other chipmakers also moved lower, while major cloud and technology companies such as Amazon recorded more modest declines.

The market reaction highlights how closely AI companies have become linked to the broader technology and semiconductor supply chain.

A slowdown in the development or deployment of advanced AI systems could potentially affect demand for processors, data centers, networking equipment and electricity infrastructure.

However, the calls for greater oversight have not received universal support in Washington.

President Donald Trump rejected Amodei’s appeal for stronger AI guardrails and a slower pace of development, arguing that the United States should maintain an aggressive approach to artificial intelligence.

Trump said in a Truth Social post that AI required strong leadership rather than additional restrictions and criticized Amodei’s position.

The contrasting views underline a growing debate over how governments should balance AI innovation and economic competitiveness with concerns about safety, security and the long-term consequences of increasingly capable systems.