Expert warns AI safety rules could shield established US firms from competition
After tech executives signed a safety commitment at the White House, an analyst says the new safeguards risk creating a competitive advantage for established US AI companies over open-source models and new entrants.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that technology executives gathered at the White House to discuss AI regulation had signed a "morally binding" commitment to build adequate safeguards for the rapidly advancing technology.
Concerns over market impact
Speaking to FRANCE 24's Monte Francis, Harrison Rolfes, Senior Research Analyst at PitchBook, said the push for these safeguards could prevent open-source AI models from becoming more competitive, while also making it harder for new companies to enter the market with new frontier models.
Rolfes explained that these measures effectively "build a moat" around existing US AI firms, shielding them from competition posed by both open-source development and emerging challengers.
According to the analyst, while the regulatory push is framed around safety, it could simultaneously reinforce the position of current market leaders, making it more difficult for smaller or newer companies to break through with innovative alternatives.
