I’ve analyzed the near-term economic effects of an AI pause, out of concern for my investments, and a desire to predict how strong political opposition to a pause is likely to be.

My median estimates: The S&P 500 will drop 27.8%. AI subsectors will drop 34-69%. Interest rates will rise at a much slower rate than would be the case without a pause.

The specific numbers depend on some fairly arbitrary assumptions. So please read this post in order to get a feel for how the results depend on the assumptions. I’ve tried to keep the assumptions reasonable, but some of them will prove to be wrong. My most controversial assumptions reflect an expectation that both markets and voters will be surprised at how powerful AI is, mainly in 2027.

For the full model, along with many explanatory comments, see the Python source code here (zip file).

This conversation with Claude clarifies my reasoning in more detail than most people will want.

Sensitivity to Assumptions

Here's how my model says the impact is influenced by changes in assumptions. Numbers are for the immediate change in the S&P500 and in the stocks of hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google/Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Oracle).

[...]

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Outline:

(01:13) Sensitivity to Assumptions

(04:14) What Kind of Pause?

(05:50) Impact

(07:26) Model Output: Executive Summary

(07:34) AI High-Growth Segment Revenue Trajectory

(07:42) Sector Market Cap Impacts

(07:48) Implications

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First published:
May 31st, 2026

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/YJWe9tT7LDYefK4vE/financial-costs-of-an-ai-pause

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“Financial Costs of an AI Pause?” by PeterMcCluskey

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“Financial Costs of an AI Pause?” by PeterMcCluskey