Jim Cramer questions Anthropic slowdown proposal and outlines market plan

Jim Cramer said Dario Amodei’s proposal to slow the advance of artificial-intelligence capabilities could weigh on equities tied to AI data-center construction, particularly Nvidia, while questioning whether the regulatory agenda could favour established frontier-model companies. In CNBC commentary published Sunday, Cramer said he had already reduced his data-center exposure and would wait for any market overreaction before revisiting favoured holdings.

The comments followed Amodei’s September essay, “We Must Pace the Frontier”, which calls for a slower rate of AI capability improvement to give safety work time to keep up. Amodei wrote that this would not mean ending model training or technical progress.

What is Anthropic’s AI slowdown proposal?

Amodei set out three measures. First, he proposed that frontier AI groups give independent evaluators continuing access comparable to that of employees, so they can examine adherence to safety practices, report incidents and assess alignment during model training.

Anthropic has committed to that first measure on its own, according to Amodei’s September 12 post on X. The evaluators would have permanent, employee-level access to the company’s systems, he said.

The second part calls for frontier AI companies in democratic countries to coordinate on shared safety standards and limits on unchecked progress. Amodei wrote that meaningful coordination could need government involvement because of legal constraints, including antitrust rules. The third calls on the US and other democratic governments to seek international coordination, while acknowledging the difficulty of verifying compliance by authoritarian governments.

Amodei said his concerns include the possibility of losing control of AI systems, misuse in cyberattacks or bioterrorism, and economic disruption. He argued that increasingly capable AI systems require stronger safeguards and outside verification.

Why did Cramer raise concerns about Nvidia?

Cramer said a potential slowdown in the AI data-center buildout could put pressure on Nvidia and affect other stocks connected to that spending. No industry-wide slowdown has been independently confirmed in the material available; Amodei’s essay presents a proposed framework, with Anthropic’s evaluator commitment its stated immediate action.

Cramer described Amodei’s essay as self-serving and questioned whether regulation sought by leading AI developers could create barriers for startups. Those were Cramer’s views and speculation about the proposal’s possible effects, rather than established facts about Anthropic’s motives or the intentions of other companies.

He said he had previously told CNBC Investing Club members to reduce exposure to the data-center theme and that the club had sold Corning over the prospect of a political interruption to data-center expansion.

Cramer’s stated market response

Cramer did not call for immediate purchases. He said he would wait until a possible sell-off driven by concerns about slower data-center building had been fully reflected in prices, then return to a plan of buying preferred holdings after substantial selling.

CNBC disclosed that Cramer’s charitable trust held Nvidia, Cardinal Health and BNY. The network also said its Investing Club commentary does not guarantee a particular outcome or profit.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.