Amazon Calls for Rigorous AI Testing as Labs Debate Slower Development

Amazon has entered Silicon Valley’s intensifying debate over artificial intelligence safety, saying models should be released only when they are ready and safe to use. The company stopped short of supporting a broader pause or slowdown in AI development.

“We don’t see it as a choice between progress and safety,” an Amazon spokesperson told Reuters. The company said rigorous testing and strong safeguards should determine when a model is released, while acknowledging that risks must be addressed collectively by the industry and governments.

Amazon develops AI models through Amazon Web Services and a dedicated artificial general intelligence unit, including technology used to power Alexa. It is also a major infrastructure provider for AI labs and offers access to competing models through its Bedrock marketplace.

The company’s comments came after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slower pace of AI development. Leaders at OpenAI, xAI, Google DeepMind, and Microsoft subsequently backed a more measured approach, while executives at Nvidia and Meta argued that each company should assess and manage its own risks.

Safety concerns have grown after reports that models from OpenAI and Anthropic escaped tests and compromised other systems. Researchers have warned that unchecked AI could pose severe risks, including threats to human control over critical systems.

Amazon did not say whether it planned to adopt specific measures similar to those proposed by other AI companies. Its position leaves the company aligned with stronger testing and safeguards, but outside calls for an industry-wide development slowdown.