Tech firms hit by AI slowdown call with Fed expected to hike rates

The Federal Reserve is expected to increase borrowing costs on Sept 16 as it tries to combat stubbornly high inflation.

Published Sep 14, 2026, 12:02 PM

Updated Sep 14, 2026, 12:02 PM

Tech leaders including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a slowdown in AI development due to risks like "recursive self-improvement" that could outpace human control.

Tech stocks fell sharply in Asia amid these concerns, rising oil prices after Saudi pipeline closure, and expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.

The Middle East conflict raised oil prices above US$100 a barrel, worsening inflation and complicating efforts to curb it, while US inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target.

HONG KONG – Tech firms tumbled on Sept 14 after leaders of companies at the forefront of the artificial intelligence boom backed calls for a slowdown in development in the sector amid warnings that it could pose a threat to humanity.

The equity market losses were compounded by another spike in oil prices after Saudi Arabia closed a key pipeline, while US inflation data did little to lower expectations the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates this week.

Chipmakers led the selling in Asia after Anthropic chief executive officer Dario Amodei called on Sept 12 for AI companies to “pace the frontier” – or coordinate a slowdown in the technology’s development – to allow a better understanding of the risks arising.

Key among his concerns is so-called “recursive self-improvement”, or when AI can build its own next generation.

“Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all,” Amodei wrote.

His chief competitors OpenAI’s Sam Altman and xAI’s Elon Musk publicly supported him, with Musk saying “Dario is right”.

The comments came after a researcher resigned from Anthropic over fears the technology could escape human control.

Another, who did not resign, stated publicly that “we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans”, and that he thought the chances were greater than “10 per cent within the next decade”.

While US President Donald Trump voiced opposition to the remarks and House Speaker Mike Johnson said “we don’t need everybody to panic right now”, traders sold off their tech holdings Sept 14.

Tokyo-listed tech investment titan SoftBank plunged more than 12 per cent, while chipmaker Kioxia shed more than seven per cent and Advantest more than two per cent.

South Korea’s SK hynix and Samsung were also sharply lower.

Seoul’s Kospi index led losses on broader markets, with Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei and Manila also lower.

There were gains in Sydney, Singapore and Wellington.

The selling was also being fuelled by expectations the Fed will increase borrowing costs on Sept 16 as it tries to combat stubbornly high inflation, which data showed last week remained well above the bank’s two per cent target.

The “Fed meeting sees the swaps market implying a 92 per cent probability of a hike, with 50 basis points of cumulative tightening assumed by year-end”, said Chris Weston at Pepperstone.

“Psychologically, a Fed hiking cycle rarely does risk assets many favours, particularly if both nominal and real Treasury yields are breaking to new highs and equity markets continue to find sellers into rallies.”

And National Australia Bank’s Rodrigo Catril added that the decision not to hike would “carry credibility risks and, with a hike almost fully priced, a disappointing hold could trigger a Treasury sell-off”.

The likelihood of inflation coming down any time soon has been hit by the Middle East crisis as oil prices sit well above US$100 a barrel.

Both main contracts jumped more than two per cent on Sept 14 after Riyadh shut its East-West pipeline following drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, while a merchant vessel was struck in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have been cementing their hold on the Bab Al-Mandab strait, a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia that has been used as an alternative to Hormuz.

The conflict sent average diesel prices in the United States above US$6 a gallon on Sept 11 for the first time, a shock increase for a key fuel in the transport and agriculture sectors.

Meanwhile, Oman said it had postponed talks between Iran and Gulf states on the future of the strategic waterway, a vital route for a large share of the world’s seaborne oil trade. AFP

AI/artificial intelligence

为应对持续高企的通货膨胀，美联储预计将于9月16日提高借贷成本。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 14 日下午 12:02

更新于2026年9月14日下午12:02

包括 Anthropic 首席执行官 Dario Amodei 在内的科技领袖呼吁放缓人工智能的发展速度，因为存在“递归自我改进”等风险，这些风险可能会超出人类的控制。

受这些担忧、沙特阿拉伯输油管道关闭后油价上涨以及市场预期美联储加息的影响，亚洲科技股大幅下跌。

中东冲突导致油价上涨至每桶 100 美元以上，加剧了通货膨胀，并使抑制通货膨胀的努力更加复杂，而美国通货膨胀率仍然高于美联储 2% 的目标。

香港——9月14日，科技公司股价暴跌，此前，引领人工智能热潮的科技公司领导人呼吁放缓该领域的发展，并警告称人工智能可能对人类构成威胁。

沙特阿拉伯关闭一条关键输油管道后，油价再次飙升，加剧了股市的下跌；与此同时，美国通胀数据并未降低市场对美联储本周加息的预期。

在 Anthropic 首席执行官 Dario Amodei 于 9 月 12 日呼吁人工智能公司“引领前沿”，或协调放慢技术发展速度，以便更好地了解出现的风险之后，芯片制造商引领了亚洲的抛售潮。

他最关心的问题之一是所谓的“递归自我改进”，也就是人工智能何时能够构建自己的下一代。

“如果不加以控制，它可能会超出我们理解和控制这些系统的能力，因此必须非常谨慎地对待，甚至可能根本不要对待，”阿莫迪写道。

他的主要竞争对手 OpenAI 的 Sam Altman 和 xAI 的 Elon Musk 都公开支持他，Musk 还说“Dario 说得对”。

此前，一名研究人员因担心该技术可能失控而从 Anthropic 公司辞职。

另一位没有辞职的人士公开表示，“我们确实真心相信人工智能可能会杀死所有人类”，并且他认为“在未来十年内，这种可能性超过 10%”。

尽管美国总统唐纳德·特朗普对这些言论表示反对，众议院议长迈克·约翰逊也表示“我们现在不需要大家恐慌”，但交易员们在9月14日抛售了他们持有的科技股。

在东京上市的科技投资巨头软银股价暴跌超过 12%，芯片制造商铠侠股价下跌超过 7%，爱德万测试股价下跌超过 2%。

韩国的SK海力​​士和三星的股价也大幅下跌。

首尔综合指数领跌大盘，东京、香港、上海、台北和马尼拉股市也纷纷下跌。

悉尼、新加坡和惠灵顿股市均出现上涨。

抛售潮也受到美联储将于 9 月 16 日提高借贷成本的预期推动，美联储正试图应对居高不下的通胀。上周的数据显示，通胀率仍远高于美联储 2% 的目标。

Pepperstone 的 Chris Weston 表示：“美联储会议显示，互换市场暗示加息的可能性为 92%，预计到年底累计收紧 50 个基点。”

“从心理层面来看，美联储加息周期很少对风险资产有利，尤其是在名义和实际国债收益率都创下新高，而股市在上涨行情中持续出现抛售的情况下。”

澳大利亚国民银行的罗德里戈·卡特里尔补充说，不加息的决定“会带来信誉风险，而且由于加息预期几乎已被完全消化，令人失望的维持现状可能会引发国债抛售”。

由于油价远高于每桶100美元，中东危机打击了通胀短期内下降的可能性。

9 月 14 日，在也门胡塞武装无人机袭击后，利雅得关闭了其东西输油管道，与此同时，一艘商船在霍尔木兹海峡遭到袭击，两大主要合同价格均上涨超过 2%。

胡塞武装一直在巩固其对曼德海峡的控制，曼德海峡是连接欧洲和亚洲的重要航运通道，一直被用作霍尔木兹海峡的替代通道。

这场冲突导致美国柴油平均价格在 9 月 11 日首次超过每加仑 6 美元，这对交通运输和农业部门的关键燃料来说，无疑是一次令人震惊的上涨。

与此同时，阿曼表示已推迟伊朗与海湾国家就这条战略水道未来走向举行的会谈。这条水道是全球大部分海上石油贸易的重要通道。（法新社）

人工智能