RismadarVoice Reporters
September 14, 2026
China’s state-backed Global Times has criticised Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei’s call for a slower pace of frontier artificial intelligence development, accusing the United States of using AI safety concerns as a strategy to restrict China’s technological progress.
In an editorial published after Amodei outlined proposals to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems, the Chinese newspaper described the approach as a “Cold War playbook” aimed at containing China’s advances in artificial intelligence.
Amodei, in an essay published on Saturday, proposed a framework that would allow the development of frontier AI capabilities to proceed at a more controlled pace while giving governments, researchers and technology companies additional time to address growing safety risks.
His proposal has received support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, according to the report.
CHINA ACCUSES US OF TECHNOLOGICAL CONTAINMENT
Amodei also called for stronger US restrictions on the export of advanced computer chips to China and urged tougher action against what he described as model distillation by Chinese AI laboratories.
Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, Amodei acknowledged that one of the most difficult aspects of his proposal would arise if China and other countries regarded by Washington as adversaries continued advancing AI technology without adopting similar restrictions.
The Global Times argued that the proposal went beyond AI safety, claiming that its underlying objective was to restrict China’s AI development through technological barriers and regulatory controls.
The newspaper accused Washington of seeking to maintain dominance in advanced technology while limiting China’s participation in the development of global AI governance rules.
It described the alleged strategy as a “silent AI Cold War” and warned that excluding China from global AI innovation could increase the risks and costs associated with the development of increasingly autonomous AI systems.
AI SAFETY DEBATE INTENSIFIES
The dispute comes as concerns over the rapid development of frontier AI models have intensified in the United States.
US lawmakers have been considering new rules for advanced AI systems following warnings from researchers associated with Anthropic that continued technological progress could eventually create catastrophic risks, including scenarios threatening human survival.
The safety debate has increasingly become intertwined with the broader US-China technology rivalry, particularly over advanced semiconductors, computing infrastructure and access to sophisticated AI models.
The United States has imposed a series of export controls aimed at restricting China’s access to some advanced chips and semiconductor technologies, citing national security concerns.
Beijing has repeatedly criticised such restrictions, describing them as attempts to contain China’s technological and economic development.
TRUMP REJECTS CALLS TO SLOW AI DEVELOPMENT
US President Donald Trump dismissed calls for a slowdown in AI development on Sunday, saying concerns about the technology were being exaggerated by what he described as “very negative forces.”
“We’re leading China in AI. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world, and frankly I want to keep it that way because whoever wins AI wins,” Trump said.
His comments underscored the strategic importance Washington places on maintaining US leadership in artificial intelligence as competition with China intensifies.
Despite the disagreement over the pace of AI development, the United States and China are expected to discuss frontier AI safety risks in mid-September, according to sources cited in the report.
The issue could also feature in a planned September 24 summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, potentially placing AI safety, technology controls and global governance at the centre of wider US-China discussions.
The emerging debate reflects a broader tension between calls for stronger safeguards around powerful AI systems and concerns among governments and technology companies that slowing development could allow strategic competitors to gain an advantage.
