Michael Burry Says AI Slowdown Calls Are Self-Serving

Investor Michael Burry, known for The Big Short, has publicly criticized AI leaders at OpenAI and Anthropic for calling to slow down AI development, saying their real motive is self-interest.

In his Substack column Cassandra Unchained, Burry gave four reasons: AI chatbots will not become AGI, so there is nothing to restrict; slowing down helps big companies and blocks smaller rivals; exaggerating the risk of human extinction fuels hype for IPOs; and announcing a slowdown can cover up growth limits that are already happening.

Earlier, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged peers to slow down. Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Demis Hassabis then posted support on X. Researchers at OpenAI and Anthropic have also warned that AI could kill all humans.

At the same time, Wall Street and Washington are pressing US AI giants to keep moving forward.