Alvaro Bedoya, a former commissioner at the US Federal Trade Commission who served from 2022 to 2025, has publicly challenged the narrative surrounding AI-driven human extinction. He argues that such warnings are used as a distraction to justify the formation of a cartel among major AI companies. Bedoya suggests that if executives truly believed their products posed an existential threat, they would cease operations immediately.
The debate over safety coordination intensified after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei requested a narrow antitrust waiver from Washington to facilitate safety discussions. This proposal aligns with a pacing plan supported by Sam Altman and Elon Musk. However, Bedoya contends that such waivers are unnecessary, citing a joint policy statement issued by the Justice Department and the FTC on April 10, 2014, which permits cybersecurity information sharing.
Bedoya emphasizes that while safety coordination is legal, using antitrust concerns to exclude cheaper rivals is not. He notes that major AI labs are currently operating without profitability and face significant competition from open-weight models. Consequently, he advises skepticism toward CEO-led efforts to obtain broad antitrust exemptions, as these moves may be driven by economic interests rather than genuine safety concerns.
Sam Altman has acknowledged that OpenAI does not require specific antitrust exemptions or new legislation to begin safety work. He maintains that federal frameworks for safety requirements and international coordination remain necessary. The discourse follows a series of warnings from industry figures, including the resignation of Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon on September 9 and comments from Bridgewater investment chief Greg Jensen.
