Key Notes
- OpenAI's policy chief Chris Lehane said OpenAI has been coordinating with Anthropic and Google DeepMind on AI safety for several weeks, and does not believe an antitrust waiver is needed for the three to work together.
- The coordination follows Dario Amodei's September 13 essay urging restraint on frontier development, quickly backed by Sam Altman and Elon Musk.
- Anthropic and Google DeepMind had not commented on the OpenAI coordination claim as of this report.
OpenAI is working with rivals Anthropic and Google DeepMind on steps to address AI safety concerns, according to the company’s global policy chief, Chris Lehane.
Speaking at a briefing in Washington on Tuesday, Lehane said the engagement between the three companies had been under way for several weeks. He added that OpenAI does not see a need for an antitrust waiver to allow the firms to coordinate on safety matters.
“It’s better to try to work together to prioritize safety,” Lehane said. He pointed to the airline industry as precedent for competitors cooperating on safety issues, saying “there are many instances over time where companies are trying to help each other on safety.”
Spokespeople for Anthropic and Google DeepMind did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Lehane’s characterization of the coordination.
The remarks come days after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a 3,800-word essay on September 13 urging the industry to restrain development of its most advanced systems, arguing researchers need more time to understand the risks before capabilities advance further. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceXAI chief Elon Musk both publicly backed the essay shortly after it was posted.
What’s Happening in Congress
Lehane said he was in Washington to meet with lawmakers and that OpenAI would support bipartisan legislative proposals aimed at addressing potential catastrophic AI risks. “Whatever we can get through,” he said.
Among the measures OpenAI favors is a federal AI governance framework from Republican Representative Jay Obernolte and Democrat Lori Trahan. The company is also open to a Senate proposal led by Majority Leader John Thune, Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, aimed at addressing catastrophic risks from the technology.
A separate bill from Republican Senator Jim Banks and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff would grant AI companies a narrow antitrust carveout, specifically to share information related to loss of control over AI systems, cyber or biological threats, and attempts by Chinese companies to exfiltrate data. That legislation has reportedly been folded into the annual defense authorization bill, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Long Odds This Year
The odds of any AI-specific legislation passing before year’s end appear slim. The House is scheduled to leave Washington on Thursday and won’t return until after the November elections, and the brief lame-duck session that follows is expected to focus primarily on Pentagon budget matters rather than AI policy.
President Trump has also voiced strong opposition to imposing new AI guardrails. In a series of social media posts on Monday, Trump dismissed the push led by Anthropic and OpenAI to slow development of cutting-edge systems, using dismissive language to call existential AI fears “a hoax.”
That opposition from the administration adds real uncertainty to whether any of the current congressional proposals, even the narrower antitrust carveout tied to the defense bill, can gain enough momentum to become law in the near term.
Disclaimer: AIstify is an independent media brand owned and operated by NuvexMedia LLC, publishing news, research, and insights on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, automation, and related industries. NuvexMedia LLC invests in and collaborates with companies across the AI, technology, software, and digital innovation sectors. These relationships do not influence AIstify’s editorial coverage, and the publication maintains full editorial independence to provide accurate, timely, and objective information. © 2026 NuvexMedia LLC. All rights reserved. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, tax, investment, financial, or other professional advice.
