Technology and artificial intelligence-linked stocks fell sharply across global markets on Monday after leading AI executives called for a more measured pace of development, raising concerns among investors about the future pace of AI infrastructure spending.
Shares of SoftBank, a major investor in OpenAI, dropped as much as 13.2 per cent in Japan, while memory-chip maker Kioxia declined 6.4 per cent. South Korea’s SK Hynix fell 6.4 per cent and Samsung Electronics lost around 4 per cent. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was down about 1.2 per cent.
In US pre-market trading, Nvidia fell around 2.4 per cent, while AMD dropped about 5 per cent. Micron was down roughly 5 per cent, Broadcom 3.4 per cent lower and CoreWeave fell more than 6 per cent. Nasdaq 100 futures were also down around 1.5-1.8 per cent.
The sell-off followed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for the AI industry to “pace the frontier” and introduce stronger safeguards as increasingly capable systems are developed. In an essay published over the weekend, Amodei proposed independent monitoring of frontier AI companies, industry-wide safety standards and greater international coordination.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman backed the proposal, saying the industry needed to pace frontier development and that OpenAI would support independent evaluators with extensive access to its systems. He also indicated that OpenAI would not pursue a public listing in 2026, citing concerns around the current AI safety environment.
Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk also endorsed Amodei’s position, while Google DeepMind chair Demis Hassabis said the direction of the proposal was appropriate, although its details required further work. The unusual agreement among leaders of rival AI companies has intensified debate over whether the industry’s rapid expansion can continue at its current pace.
The market reaction reflects concerns that a slower development cycle could delay demand for the chips, data centres and other infrastructure that have powered the AI investment boom. However, the calls from AI executives are aimed at strengthening safety and oversight rather than halting AI development altogether.
The sell-off also comes amid wider market pressure from rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions, adding to the risk-off mood in global markets.
