AI Users Sue OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and SpaceXAI Over Alleged Slowdown Pact

Four paying AI users have sued OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and SpaceXAI, alleging the companies violated US antitrust law by illegally coordinating to slow AI development. The lawsuit was filed Friday in the Northern District of California. The complaint centers on September 12, when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay urging industry cooperation on slowing AI advances for safety, and other executives publicly agreed. It also cites a July statement from AI lab employees calling for government-supported slowdown efforts, arguing this coordination replaced individual decision-making. The plaintiffs, seeking class-action status for paid subscribers, claim consumers receive less value from slower progress. The lawsuit highlights a broader tension, as President Trump opposes AI regulation while Senator Josh Hawley has warned against antitrust exemptions for major AI companies.