Anthropic CEO says it’s time to pump the brakes on AI
Anthropic unilaterally opens its models to third-party safety evaluators—and calls on the industry to slow down.
Why it matters
A frontier lab CEO is publicly advocating for regulatory pacing and transparency, signaling a shift in how the industry approaches safety governance. This shapes policy conversations and competitive positioning around AI development speed.
The key facts
9 to knowDario Amodei proposes three-step 'pacing the frontier' plan
Anthropic granting METR and other third-party evaluators access to models unilaterally
Step 1: external evaluator access (in progress); Step 2: industry-wide coordination; Step 3: regulatory involvement
Focus on 'adherence to safety practices and commitments'
Published September 12, 2026
Dario Amodei proposes 'pacing the frontier' — slowing training and development cycles
Anthropic unilaterally granting METR and other third-party evaluators access to models
Three-step plan: (1) individual company evaluation access, (2) industry coordination, (3) regulatory evaluation
Framed as creating time for safeguards and regulatory review
Go to the source
The Verge AItheverge.com
Publisher excerpt: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says the time has come to slow down AI development and will give third-party evaluators like METR access to its models to help ensure its "adherence to safety practices and commitments." In a winding essay, Amodei proposed a three-step plan to "pace the frontier" - jargon…