Over 1,100 Silicon Valley figures sign petition to ‘put brakes on AI’, including OpenAI and Anthropic leaders

More than 1,100 Silicon Valley figures have signed a joint petition calling for stronger safeguards on AI development, according to Sina Finance. The signatory list includes executives and researchers from leading AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic.

The petition calls for setting stricter boundaries and safety mechanisms on AI system development and deployment. The breadth of signatories — spanning insiders from top AI labs alongside academics and civil society representatives — gives this petition unusual weight compared to previous statements.

The participation of OpenAI and Anthropic insiders is particularly notable. As leaders in the large language model space, their employees’ public stance on AI safety risks highlights a deepening divide within the industry’s core circles over the balance between rapid development and safety controls.

This is not Silicon Valley’s first large-scale AI petition. From open letters calling for a pause on giant AI training runs to various AI safety initiatives, internal reflection has been ongoing. However, the 1,100-plus signature count and broader representation suggest that concerns are widening.

In terms of policy impact, such petitions continue to build public pressure on the global AI regulatory debate. The U.S. Congress, European Union, and Chinese government are all advancing AI legislation, and internal industry calls for restraint serve as important ammunition for regulators.

The key question ahead is whether this petition will translate into concrete policy action and whether AI companies will proactively adopt safety measures in response to internal concern.