Is AI a Real Threat? Tech Leaders Sound the Alarm

The leaders of major artificial intelligence companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have publicly called for a slowdown in AI development, citing fears that their creations could escape human control. This marks a significant shift in tone from the industry's top executives. The calls follow a week of dramatic events, including a researcher resigning over extinction fears and claims that AI models were used in attempted chemical weapons development. However, skeptics argue these warnings are a smokescreen to distract from real risks like autonomous weapons and job losses. Some critics suggest the slowdown calls are a strategy to form a cartel and hinder China's AI progress, a view echoed by Chinese state media. The debate comes ahead of a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.