US Futures Hold Steady as AI Slowdown Calls Rattle Chip Stocks

US Futures Hold Steady as AI Slowdown Calls Rattle Chip Stocks

Published September 15, 2026 · Finance-Solutes.com Markets Desk

US stock futures were little changed Monday evening, a night after AI slowdown calls from top industry leaders hammered chip stocks. Some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence urged the industry to slow the pace of development. The warning wiped out billions in chipmaker market value in a matter of hours.

Markets also stayed focused on this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. Lingering geopolitical risk and a fresh round of Middle East oil-supply disruption kept sentiment cautious heading into Tuesday’s session.

Market snapshot (Monday evening, US futures): S&P 500 futures were roughly flat near 7,695 points. Nasdaq 100 futures hovered around 29,456, and Dow futures held near 52,879. Futures markets move quickly on headline risk, so always check live pricing before acting on any figures here.

AI Slowdown Warnings Deal a Blow to Chipmakers

Semiconductor and AI-infrastructure names led Wall Street’s losses on Monday. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a weekend essay calling on the industry to slow the pace at which it improves AI model capabilities. He cited risks that range from cyberattacks to broader economic disruption. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX’s Elon Musk both said they agreed with the call. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis backed a more deliberate pace of development as well.

The selloff spread well beyond the United States. Nasdaq futures fell as much as 1.8% in premarket trading, dragged lower by declines in Nvidia and Intel. SoftBank, a major investor in OpenAI, closed nearly 11% lower in Tokyo. South Korea’s Kospi sank 3.3% on a steep drop in memory-chip maker SK Hynix. Dutch equipment maker ASML fell 6% in Europe.

A slower pace of AI development would mean lower spending on chips and data centers. That would cut into the wave of capital that has powered technology-sector gains over the past three years. Software stocks, by contrast, gained ground. That corner of the market had already priced in worries about AI-driven disruption in recent months.

Trump Pushes Back, Calls Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Live Onstage

It remains unclear whether the industry’s calls for a slowdown will translate into any formal action. President Donald Trump spent Monday dismissing the AI safety warnings as a “hoax.” He posted repeatedly on Truth Social. He also phoned Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang while Huang was speaking onstage at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles. Huang put the call on speaker for the audience. Trump used the moment to reiterate that the US would not slow its pace of AI development.

Fed Meeting and High Oil Prices Add to the Caution

Investors are also bracing for this week’s Federal Reserve decision. Markets are pricing in a high probability that the central bank raises its benchmark rate by 25 basis points. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh signaled at the Jackson Hole symposium in late August that the Fed still has “work to do” on inflation. August data showing consumer prices holding at an elevated pace has reinforced expectations of a hike.

A rate increase would put Warsh at odds with Trump. The president has repeatedly pushed the Fed to cut rates to support growth.

Oil prices have stayed elevated after Saudi Arabia shut a key pipeline used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz following a drone attack. Tensions between Houthi forces and Saudi Arabia have added pressure on the nearby Bab al-Mandab Strait, another critical route for Saudi crude exports. Elevated energy prices are reinforcing concerns that inflation will stay sticky, adding to the case for a more hawkish Fed.

What This Means for Investor Portfolios

• Chip and AI-infrastructure exposure looks more headline-sensitive. A slower pace of AI development, if it materializes, would weigh most directly on semiconductor and data-center-linked names.
• Cybersecurity and software could see relative support. These sectors had already priced in AI-disruption risk and may benefit if capital spending shifts toward safety and guardrails.
• Energy costs are a real inflation risk. Sustained high oil prices tied to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab disruptions could keep the Fed leaning hawkish into year-end.
• Rate-sensitive positioning matters this week. A 25-basis-point hike is largely expected, but any surprise in tone from the Fed statement could move markets sharply.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Futures prices, oil prices, and Fed rate odds shift quickly and should always be checked against live data before making any investment decision. For personalized guidance, Finance-Solutes.com’s free courses and expert advisors are available to help translate market news like this into a strategy that fits your own portfolio.

Source: Investing.com — “Hợp đồng tương lai Mỹ đi ngang khi thị trường lo ngại về AI và Fed,” reported by Ambar Warrick

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