{"slug": "us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals", "title": "US weighs antitrust guidance on AI safety after Anthropic CEO calls for rivals to coordinate", "summary": "US Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said at Fordham University on September 17 that the DOJ does not currently view coordination among AI companies on safety issues as anticompetitive, after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a narrow antitrust waiver letting competing AI labs coordinate on slowing development and setting common safety standards. Woodward's remarks suggest the DOJ may update its cybersecurity collaboration guidelines to cover AI security, but no frontier AI lab has requested a meeting with the Antitrust Division, and FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson expressed skepticism on September 15 that safety standards set by the largest AI firms could lock out smaller competitors. The DOJ withdrew the 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaboration Among Competitors in December 2024 without an immediate replacement, leaving companies to navigate the uncertainty.", "body_md": "Photo: Tom Fisk / Pexels\n\n# US weighs antitrust guidance on AI safety after Anthropic CEO calls for rivals to coordinate\n\nThe DOJ says AI safety collaboration doesn't look anticompetitive, but no frontier labs have actually knocked on its door yet.\n\nThe US Department of Justice is signaling that it’s open to letting AI companies work together on safety without triggering antitrust alarms. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said at Fordham University on September 17 that the DOJ does not currently view coordination among companies on AI safety issues as anticompetitive.\n\nThe statement lands at a peculiar moment. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently called on the US government for a narrow antitrust waiver that would let competing AI labs coordinate on slowing development and setting common safety standards.\n\n## The gap between talk and action\n\nWoodward’s remarks suggest the DOJ is considering updating its existing guidelines on collaboration in cybersecurity to potentially cover AI security as well. That would give companies a clearer legal framework for working together on safety protocols without worrying about a lawsuit landing on their desk.\n\nDespite all the public hand-wringing about AI safety and the calls for regulatory clarity, not a single frontier AI lab has actually requested a meeting with the Antitrust Division to discuss these legal concerns.\n\nPart of the confusion traces back to December 2024, when the DOJ withdrew the 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaboration Among Competitors. That document had served as a rough roadmap for companies trying to figure out where cooperation ends and collusion begins. Pulling it without an immediate replacement left a regulatory vacuum, and companies developing frontier AI models have been navigating that uncertainty ever since.\n\n### Macro, rates, and crypto—what moved markets and what matters next.\n\nDaily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.\n\n## The FTC isn’t buying it\n\nNot everyone in Washington is warming to the idea. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson expressed skepticism on September 15 toward AI firms that simultaneously request new regulations and antitrust exemptions. His concern is straightforward: if the biggest AI companies get permission to coordinate on safety standards, those standards could end up being designed, intentionally or not, to lock out smaller competitors.\n\nFerguson’s position sets up an interesting tension within the administration itself. The DOJ seems inclined to view safety collaboration favorably, while the FTC is flagging the competitive risks.\n\nThe European Union is watching closely too. EU officials have expressed interest in exploring how antitrust frameworks might adapt to the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI and cybersecurity threats.\n\n## What this means for the AI industry\n\nAmodei’s proposal for a narrow waiver is notable for its specificity. He’s not asking for broad antitrust immunity. He’s asking for permission to coordinate on one dimension: the pace and safety of AI development.\n\nThe biggest risk might be inaction. Without updated guidance, companies face a choice between coordinating on safety and hoping the DOJ agrees it was fine, or competing in isolation and hoping nothing catastrophic happens. The fact that zero frontier labs have formally engaged the Antitrust Division suggests the industry is still in wait-and-see mode.\n\n**Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our\n\n[Editorial Policy](https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals", "canonical_source": "https://cryptobriefing.com/us-antitrust-guidance-ai-safety-doj/", "published_at": "2026-09-17 15:58:26+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-17 16:25:13.938221+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-safety", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["US Department of Justice", "Anthropic", "Dario Amodei", "Stanley Woodward", "Federal Trade Commission", "Andrew Ferguson", "Fordham University", "European Union"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/us-weighs-antitrust-guidance-on-ai-safety-after-anthropic-ceo-calls-for-rivals.jsonld"}}