Big AI Labs Accused of Using Safety Rules to Block Smaller Rivals

Major AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind are facing allegations that their public support for strict AI safety regulations is partly a strategy to entrench their market dominance. Analysts argue that expensive compliance requirements, such as mandatory third-party audits, would be financially prohibitive for smaller developers and open-source projects, consolidating the industry among a few wealthy players. PitchBook senior analyst Harrison Rolfes notes that large labs are skilled at centering safety in public discourse while pursuing deeper business interests. Third-party evaluation firms like Apollo Research and METR could become industry gatekeepers, drawing comparisons to the Big Four accounting firms in finance. Notably, OpenAI reportedly explored whether coordinating an industry-wide slowdown in AI development could raise antitrust concerns, underscoring the tension between safety goals and competitive dynamics.