Jacob Coxon resigned from Anthropic last week, and now he is telling the public exactly why he walked away. In an interview with ABC News’ “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos, Coxon, a former safety researcher for Anthropic and OpenAI, praised Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for a slower pace of AI development.
“I think it’s great. It’s very exciting,” Coxon said. “I think this is a substantial step towards what I was talking about, needing some sort of slowdown between the people building the different AIs.”
Coxon’s Resignation Post
Coxon’s exit was not quiet. He posted on X last week, saying neither Anthropic nor OpenAI “is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives.”
The post also addressed the fear inside the industry. “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” Coxon wrote.
His resignation drew a strong reaction online. Coxon told Stephanopoulos that the scale of engagement surprised him.
“I wasn’t actually hoping for any big response, really,” he said. “It was exceptionally surprising to see the level of engagement … and I think it was really indicative of the moment being ripe for this sort of chat.”
Amodei’s Letter
Amodei’s call for a slower pace came in a letter titled “We Must Pace the Frontier.” He wrote that he believed humanity owed it to itself to try.
“I believe we owe it to humanity to try,” Amodei wrote.
Coxon said Amodei’s stance aligns with his own concerns.
“I think it’s great. It’s very exciting,” Coxon repeated. “I think this is a substantial step towards what I was talking about, needing some sort of slowdown between the people building the different AIs.”
What Coxon Heard Inside Anthropic
Coxon spoke to whether there was a growing sense in the companies he worked for that AI technology was becoming harder to control. His answer was direct.
“There’s not enough time to be constantly thinking about the risks, but definitely, I’ve noticed that in recent months, it comes up more and more often,” Coxon said. “So no matter where you are in the company, probably around a couple of times a week, I guess, there’ll be some sort of conversation around the big risks of the technology.”
The conversations happen regularly, even though the work of building AI systems moves fast.
The Timeline of the Announcement
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Last week | Coxon resigns from Anthropic |
| Last week | Coxon posts resignation statement on X |
| Saturday | Amodei publishes “We Must Pace the Frontier” letter |
| Sunday | Coxon interviews with Stephanopoulos |
What Coxon Wants Now
Coxon’s concern is clear. He believes the companies are moving too fast, and he wants them to slow down. He sees the fear among builders as evidence of the problem.
“The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” Coxon wrote.
Coxon’s exit is notable because he worked at two of the most prominent AI labs in the world. His decision to leave and speak publicly carries weight.
The Conversation Is Shifting
Coxon’s post took off in ways he did not expect. He told Stephanopoulos that the engagement showed the moment was ready for this kind of discussion.
“I think it was really indicative of the moment being ripe for this sort of chat,” Coxon said.
The broader question is whether the companies will listen. Coxon’s message is simple: slow down.
The warning is that the companies are racing toward self-improving superintelligence. Coxon believes they are gambling with our lives. That is not a hypothetical concern. It is a position held by someone who spent years inside the labs.
The conversation is shifting. Coxon’s post shows that. The engagement he received shows that. Amodei’s letter shows that.
The question now is whether the companies will act on the warnings they are hearing. Coxon has done his part. He resigned. He spoke out. He gave the public a window into a world where the people building the technology genuinely fear what it might become.
What happens next is not clear. But the direction of travel is set. The builders are talking about the risks more often. Coxon is no longer inside the room. But his voice is still loud.
Here is how the sequence of events unfolded:
- Coxon resigned from Anthropic last week.
- He posted his resignation statement on X last week.
- Amodei published his “We Must Pace the Frontier” letter on Saturday.
- Coxon interviewed with Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
Each step followed the next in quick succession. The resignation, the post, the letter, the interview — they all point in the same direction.