By Pausing AI, We’d Only Be Hurting Ourselves

Should we slow down the progress of artificial intelligence, large language models in particular? Not necessarily through government regulation, but on a voluntary basis, with the major companies suspending improvements for six months, until the world is in a better position to let this work proceed? A recent petition, signed by Elon Musk and more than 1,100 others, suggests that this is exactly what we should do.

I disagree. A slowdown would politicize AI development, damage US national security, and could induce a talent drain from some of America’s most innovative companies. In the meantime, a delay would accomplish very little.