Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board

techcrunch.com Sep 13, 2026

Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 13, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Automattic has officially confirmed that WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg has resumed his role as CEO, reversing a board decision earlier this week that placed him on paid leave. The company stated Mullenweg returns with full board support, citing backing from top executives. The initial ouster sparked internal chaos, with Mullenweg accusing the board of conspiracy and temporarily removing other administrators from the company Slack. He subsequently declared himself back in control, using colorful language and referencing his pirate persona. While Automattic initially appointed CFO Mark Davies as interim leader, the leadership dispute resolved quickly. Mullenweg noted on social media that this was likely his fifth attempted coup. Reports also suggest board member Toni Schneider may have stepped down, though Automattic has not confirmed changes to the board’s composition or provided detailed explanations for the rapid reversal of events.

💡 Why It Matters

· The swift reversal exposes deep internal fractures at the company behind the world’s most popular content management system.
· Mullenweg’s ability to override the board’s authority raises serious questions about corporate governance and the stability of leadership at a critical internet infrastructure provider.

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Anthropic CEO calls for slowing down AI development, Elon Musk agrees

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei publicly urged a slowdown in AI development, warning that rapid advances could outpace safety measures. In a Saturday essay, he called for a deliberate pace to allow companies to strengthen safeguards. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman echoed the sentiment, noting it as a key discussion point at OpenAI. Elon Musk also supported Amodei’s stance in a brief X post. Amodei cited recursive self‑improvement and a recent OpenAI‑Hugging Face swarm incident as catalysts for his concerns. The call highlights growing industry debate over responsible AI progress.

💡 The plea signals a shift toward prioritizing safety over speed, potentially reshaping regulatory and investment priorities in the AI sector.

latestly.com · Sep 13

Why Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Urges AI Industry To ‘Slow Down’

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei published an essay titled “We Must Pace the Frontier,” urging the artificial‑intelligence sector to decelerate the rollout of increasingly powerful models. He warned that rapid capability gains are outstripping safety research and governance mechanisms, raising the risk of uncontrolled outcomes. Amodei outlined a three‑step framework: first, balanced development that pairs progress with robust safety work; second, coordinated action across AI firms to share standards and best practices; and third, global coordination among governments and international bodies to align regulations. To demonstrate commitment, Anthropic announced it will grant third‑party safety evaluators permanent, employee‑level access to its systems, allowing continuous oversight, incident reporting, and alignment testing throughout model training. The proposal seeks to embed external scrutiny into the core of AI development.

💡 By institutionalizing independent safety audits, the plan creates a tangible check on unchecked model scaling, aiming to prevent catastrophic failures before they emerge.

theverge.com · Sep 13

Anthropic CEO says it’s time to pump the brakes on AI

Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei urged a slowdown in artificial‑intelligence development, unveiling a three‑step “pace the frontier” plan. The first step grants independent evaluators, such as METR, broad access to Anthropic’s models to verify compliance with the company’s safety commitments. The second step calls for an industry‑wide coalition, likely coordinated with government bodies, to create shared safety standards and impose limits on unchecked AI progress, focusing on firms operating in democratic nations. The third step envisions formal regulatory frameworks that would institutionalise these safeguards and monitor rapid model training. Amodei presented the proposal in a detailed essay, emphasizing that voluntary measures now are meant to buy time for robust oversight before further breakthroughs accelerate.

💡 By pre‑emptively opening its models to external scrutiny, Anthropic forces the sector to confront safety gaps before they become entrenched, potentially reshaping how competitive pressure and regulation intersect in AI development.

247wallst.com · Sep 13

Anthropic’s Prisoner’s Dilemma: Dario Amodei Hits the Brakes on AI While Begging…

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged the AI industry to slow development, citing existential risks from recursive self-improvement and autonomous agent swarms. His plea follows researcher Evan Hubinger’s warning that AI could kill all humans with over 10% probability within a decade. Amodei announced unilateral safety measures, granting third-party evaluators like METR full office access to verify controls. This stance contrasts sharply with the broader industry’s aggressive expansion. NVIDIA reported $279 billion in supply obligations, while Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Oracle disclosed massive capital expenditures exceeding $100 billion collectively. Executives from these firms emphasized rapid growth, profitability, and infrastructure buildouts. Amodei’s call for caution highlights a fundamental conflict between Anthropic’s safety-first philosophy and the financial imperatives driving competitors. The divergence underscores the difficulty of implementing industry-wide safety standards when major players prioritize speed and revenue. Amodei’s position remains isolated as peers accelerate compute investments and product launches, creating a potential prisoner’s dilemma for AI governance and long-term risk management strategies.

💡 Amodei’s stance exposes a critical structural flaw in AI governance: safety protocols rely on voluntary compliance from companies whose business models depend on unchecked acceleration. This misalignment ensures that existential risk warnings will likely be ignored in favor of immediate financial gains.

wskg.org · Sep 12

Anthropic and OpenAI CEOs call for AI development to slow down

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly urged a slowdown in artificial‑intelligence development on September 12, 2026. Amodei posted an essay calling for “pace the frontier,” international cooperation, and mandatory third‑party safety auditors, pledging Anthropic to adopt the measures unilaterally. Altman echoed the appeal on X and announced OpenAI’s planned IPO will be postponed to 2027 for safety reasons. Their statements follow a viral resignation by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who warned that rapid advances threaten uncontrolled systems. Demonstrations such as the “Stop the AI Race” march in San Francisco have amplified public scrutiny. The CEOs’ joint stance highlights growing tension between competitive pressure and responsible AI governance. Policymakers are urged to draft standards for AI risk management.

💡 The pause forces investors and regulators to weigh immediate market gains against long‑term safety, reshaping the rollout schedule for advanced AI systems.

batimes.com.ar · Sep 12

What does Peter Thiel want in Argentina?

On April 23, Javier Milei hosted Peter Thiel at Government House, marking Thiel’s first in‑person visit and his official move to Argentina. The meeting followed Thiel’s earlier 2022 trademark registration of Palantir Technologies in the country, which announced the company’s intent to provide cloud‑based AI and geospatial analytics for national security and data‑processing projects. Thiel’s prior interest surfaced in 2017 when Palantir offered a demo to UFI‑AMIA prosecutors, sparking controversy over access to sensitive archives. The visit signals a potential expansion of U.S. tech influence in Argentine governance.

💡 Thiel’s presence could reshape Argentina’s data‑security landscape, positioning Palantir as a key partner in handling national archives and intelligence. This move may alter how the country balances foreign tech integration with sovereignty concerns.