China state media calls Anthropic’s AI slowdown push a ‘Cold War’ tactic

China’s state-backed Global Times has criticised Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for AI companies to slow the development of advanced models, describing it as a “Cold War” strategy aimed at containing China’s technological rise.

In an essay, Amodei proposed a framework to pace the development of frontier AI models and give governments and companies more time to address growing safety risks. The proposal was later endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.

But Amodei’s proposal went beyond AI safety. He also called on the US to strengthen restrictions on advanced chip exports to China and take action against alleged model distillation by Chinese AI companies.

Global Times said these elements revealed a broader geopolitical agenda.

China sees AI containment strategy

In an editorial, the newspaper said the proposal sought to curb China’s AI development through “technological barriers and regulatory monopolies”, preserve Washington’s dominance in advanced technology and exclude China from global AI governance.

It described the emerging competition as a “silent AI Cold War” and argued that keeping China out of global AI innovation could increase the risks associated with the development of the technology.

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The criticism comes as the US and China compete for leadership in AI, with advanced semiconductors, computing capacity and frontier models becoming central to the broader technology rivalry.

Amodei has acknowledged the difficulty of slowing AI development if China and other countries do not adopt similar restrictions.

Speaking to CBS News on Sunday, he said the “toughest dilemma” for his proposal would be if China and other adversarial countries chose not to slow down, given the strategic advantages of being ahead in AI.

Trump rejects calls to slow AI

US President Donald Trump has rejected calls for a slowdown in AI development. He said on Sunday that concerns about the technology were being exaggerated and argued that the US needed to maintain its lead over China.

“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.

The debate comes amid growing concerns over the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems. US lawmakers have been pushing for stronger rules after warnings from Anthropic researchers that rapid AI advances could eventually pose an existential threat to humanity.

Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing are expected to discuss frontier AI safety risks this month. The issue could also come up during a planned September 24 meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to sources cited by Reuters.