US Stock Futures Fall as AI Safety Concerns and Middle East Developments Weigh on Markets: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street
US stock futures moved lower on Monday as investors assessed calls for a slowdown in advanced artificial intelligence development, upcoming Federal Reserve policy decisions and renewed uncertainty surrounding oil supplies from the Middle East.
At 03:04 ET (07:04 GMT), Dow futures were down 63 points, or 0.1%, while S&P 500 futures declined 46 points, or 0.6%. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 431 points, or 1.5%.
US equities had ended the previous week higher as investors monitored the possibility of talks between Gulf states and Iran over reopening tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The planned meeting has since been postponed.
Separately, stronger-than-expected underlying US consumer price inflation in August contributed to expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates this week.
Anthropic CEO Calls for Slower AI Development
Artificial intelligence stocks came under pressure after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for AI companies to slow the pace of development of advanced models.
In an essay published on Saturday, Amodei raised concerns about the potential misuse of increasingly capable AI systems.
“Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain,” Amodei wrote.
The comments followed Anthropic’s disclosure last week that several actors had used its Claude AI models in activities ranging from weapons development to fraud.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and xAI chief Elon Musk also expressed support for concerns surrounding the pace of AI development, prompting markets to assess the potential implications for investment in AI infrastructure.
Deutsche Bank analysts said the debate could affect the “composition of AI capex rather than its scale,” with companies potentially directing more investment towards safety, monitoring and governance.
Altman also said OpenAI would not proceed with a potential initial public offering this year because of safety concerns.
AI-linked shares declined in Asia, including SoftBank in Japan and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM). SK Hynix (NASDAQ:SKHY) and Samsung Electronics (USOTC:SSNHZ) also fell in South Korea, while European technology shares traded lower.
Trump Comments on US Position in AI
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he wanted the United States to maintain its position relative to China in artificial intelligence.
“We’re leading China in AI. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world and, frankly, I want to keep it that way — because whoever wins AI wins,” Trump told reporters in Ireland.
