US lawsuit accuses AI giants of colluding to slow development

A new lawsuit in the US alleges that major artificial intelligence companies, including Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, and Google, conspired to slow down AI development, violating antitrust laws. The case was filed in the California North District Court. The complaint, led by four paid subscribers of services like ChatGPT and Claude, claims the companies' collusion reduces competition and diminishes service value for users. It cites public statements by CEOs like Dario Amodei and Sam Altman advocating for collective safety measures as evidence of the alleged agreement. The plaintiffs do not oppose individual companies slowing development for safety but argue that coordinated restrictions are illegal. The lawsuit contrasts with President Donald Trump's stance, who opposes slowing AI progress to maintain a competitive edge over China.