Michael Burry Claims AI Speed Slowdown Claims Are Self-Interested Marketing

Michael Burry, the investor known for 'The Big Short,' has stated that claims of artificial intelligence (AI) speed slowdowns are self-interested. He argues that OpenAI and Anthropic executives are highlighting how fast their technology is to directly benefit from it.

Burry posted his criticism early Monday, two days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay urging the industry to slow down. Burry presented four counterarguments: First, he claims large language models (LLMs) are not AI and will never reach artificial general intelligence (AGI), so there's no need to slow them down. Second, he says pausing would protect current leaders from competition as rivals catch up. Third, he interprets safety warnings as marketing for upcoming stock listings.

Burry asserts that when companies claim their technology is too powerful, it's essentially advertising its high value. He labels this 'high interest' and 'exaggeration.' His fourth point suggests the slowdown discussion is masking current growth slowdowns to delay IPO timing.

Amodei's essay was released Saturday, calling for research labs to scale back and appoint independent evaluators. Sam Altman and Elon Musk quickly supported the idea of slowing AI speed. Altman stated there would be no 2026 IPO, citing 'safety' as a reason without revealing new timelines.

Anthropic plans its own IPO this fall. The slowdown message caused stock futures to drop before Monday's market open. Both companies are not yet profitable; Anthropic expects breakeven by 2028 and OpenAI aims for 2030. These figures will be part of official financial filings upon listing.

Crypto traders are also watching the trend. Analyst Ben Cowen warned that Anthropic's large IPO could divert attention from Bitcoin. Burry himself is not neutral—he expanded his short position on Nvidia in August and bought call options as a hedge in December.