FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson
US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson has cautioned the public to “be deeply suspicious” about artificial intelligence (AI) companies that simultaneously advocate for strict legal regulations while seeking exemptions from antitrust statutes. And I think if you combine that with the requested antitrust exemption, everyone should be deeply suspicious about this,” he said. Speaking during an appearance at Georgetown University in Washington, Ferguson clarified that he was offering his own individual views rather than speaking on behalf of the entire commission. Notably, he avoided singling out Anthropic by name but his remarks landed days after the company’s CEO Dario Amodei publicly urged the federal government to grant special antitrust clearance so market rivals could band together to slow down the speed of frontier model development. “I will say generally, though, that if companies are simultaneously coming to Washington and asking for a host of regulations and an antitrust exemption, all of my alarm bells go off. They’re asking for barriers to entry that will insulate their incumbency from challenge.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei touched off the regulatory debate last week by calling for a calculated deceleration of technological progress and an exemption from anti-collusion laws. He also argued that federal authorities must provide a targeted waiver to allow safety consultations among competing labs. Recently, billionaire David Sacks also issued a scathing response to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amodei, dismissing their public appeals for external frameworks, telling both of them to ‘cut the theater’ and halt their work voluntarily if they truly believe their experimental models present an existential threat. “But stop pretending you need anyone else’s permission. Stop pretending antitrust law has to be suspended so you can form a cartel. Stop pretending you need a regulatory approval process that supersedes product liability. Stop pretending METR is independent when it is intertwined with Anthropic’s investors and staff. Stop pretending you need those same evaluators to police competitors who aren’t even at the frontier,” he added. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.
Unease among citizens regarding autonomous systems has surged in the wake of statements by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who recently stepped down and claimed that the engineers developing advanced models sincerely believe the software could eradicate human civilization before the decade finishes.
Ferguson’s statements provide the first clear signal of how the Trump administration views Anthropic’s push for legal immunity to coordinate cross-industry safety pacts, according to a report by news agency Reuters. They also illustrate how government mandates are frequently seen as tactical maneuvers deployed by dominant market players to box out upstart challengers.