# Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit > Source: > Published: 2026-09-11 08:00:10+00:00 # Why AI experts are ‘freaked out’ over safety fears ahead of Xi-Trump summit Experts fear Silicon Valley is hurtling towards a major cybersecurity incident. Meanwhile, US-China tensions are undercutting AI safety talks [artificial intelligence boom](https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3366733/china-targets-fourfold-boost-ai-computing-capacity-2030-major-tech-push?module=inline&pgtype=article), igniting calls from some experts to slow down development – even as critics warn that deceleration risks surrendering America’s technological lead to China. [President Xi Jinping and US leader Donald Trump](https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3366955/us-firms-confidence-china-has-soared-amid-xi-trump-trade-truce-survey?module=inline&pgtype=article)are set to meet for a high-stakes summit in Washington. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees in a private company-wide meeting this week that the firm was considering slowing down its AI development, according to a Friday report from Bloomberg. OpenAI may coordinate the slowdown with other leading AI laboratories, though some firms may decline to participate, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter. [rapid AI advancement](https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3366216/tech-race-flashpoint-huang-musk-push-back-ai-guard-rails-amid-heated-us-china-rivalry?module=inline&pgtype=article). Paul Christiano, a prominent AI safety researcher who recently joined OpenAI’s non-profit board to serve on its safety and security committee, warned on Thursday of a “catastrophic and irreversible loss of control in the very near term” based on the current trajectory of the technology.