Columbia Law Scholars Argue Frontier AI Labs Can't Lawfully Agree to Slow Down Under Sherman Act

Amelia Miazad, Barak Orbach and Menesh Patel argue in the Columbia Law School Blue Sky Blog that recent public statements by Amodei, Altman and Hassabis endorsing coordinated AI slowdowns could expose labs to Sherman Act Section 1 liability, because 'a bare agreement among competitors to slow innovation does not become lawful merely because its stated purpose is to reduce risks to society.' The authors argue labs should instead pursue structured joint ventures and safety collaborations with proper governance rather than wait for unlikely antitrust reform.