Delphi Ventures analyst Shaughnessy argues that OpenAI and Anthropic's recent calls to slow AI development serve as a strategic regulatory moat against fast-improving, low-cost competitors like DeepSeek. The push for deceleration is framed as a defensive measure to establish barriers that protect incumbent market positions from cheaper alternatives. This perspective suggests that safety advocacy may function as a competitive tool rather than purely an ethical stance. By encouraging regulatory friction, established AI labs could limit the ability of agile, cost-efficient models to capture market share through rapid iteration and deployment.