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Does AI need an antitrust exemption so it doesn't kill everyone????

September 19, 2026 · 46 min

Show notes

The biggest story in tech right now is the spiraling debate about AI safety and regulation. The CEOs of all these companies have issued various calls to slow down development and develop regulation, including asking for antitrust exemptions so they can all coordinate on safety issues.

So to make sense of it all, I called Jonathan Kanter, the former antitrust chief for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Biden Administration. There's a lot going on, and we really got into the weeds of how all this regulation might work, and how it might interact with antitrust law, competition policy, and our relationship with China.

Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.

Links: 

  • Is Big Tech’s AI slowdown a safety pact or a cartel? | The Verge
  • Inside the suddenly explosive world of AI safety | The Verge
  • Execs and politicians on slowing down AI development | The Verge
  • Microsoft AI CEO: AI threats are real, Anthropic makes it worse | The Verge
  • Lina Khan: We don’t need new laws to prosecute AI CEOs | Gizmodo

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Credits:

Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Decoder’s producers are Greg Ott, Kate Cox, and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.

The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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All episodes of Decoder with Nilay Patel

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