AI Selloff Is ‘Panic,’ Meta May Be The Best Stock To Buy, Joseph Carlson Says

Daragh Thomas

Tue, September 15, 2026 at 8:30 PM GMT+3 3 min read

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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call to slow frontier AI development has fueled "even bigger panic" among investors, according to investing commentator Joseph Carlson, who says Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) may have the best setup whether the slowdown happens or not.

Amodei's weekend essay, "We Must Pace the Frontier," proposed coordinated pacing to give companies more time to improve AI safeguards. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Elon Musk also expressed support for slowing frontier development.

Chip stocks fell Monday, with Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) down 3.4% and the PHLX Semiconductor Index tumbling 5.9%. Meta moved the other way, rising 2.7%.

Meta Has 'Probably the Best Setup'

"If we did get this coordinated slowdown, Meta has probably the best setup," Carlson said.

Meta expects $130 billion to $145 billion in capital expenditures this year. It spent $31.08 billion in the second quarter, while free cash flow fell to $784 million despite revenue rising 28% to $60.8 billion.

Carlson argues Meta could ease that spending without losing much of the benefit AI already brings to advertising, recommendations and engagement, while reducing investor concerns over CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI spending.

He also questioned Amodei's incentives, arguing coordinated pacing could protect Anthropic and OpenAI's lead while forcing cash-rich rivals such as Meta to slow their catch-up efforts. Amodei says pacing would not halt model training, but would give safety measures more time to catch up.

Carlson is also a Meta shareholder and has previously disclosed a six-figure position.

'Heads, He Wins, Tails, He Wins'

If no slowdown materializes, Carlson says Meta can keep competing.

Citing a Colossus analysis, he summed up the argument: "Heads, he wins, tails, he wins."

Carlson pointed to Meta's Muse assistant as a practical example. He said it can book restaurants, edit photos and search for shopping deals, tasks that do not require Meta to consistently own the world's most capable model.

"Meta will be fine either way," Carlson said. "Even if there isn't a coordinated slowdown and Meta continues on their path, they're making incredible progress."

Traders Doubt a Major Clampdown

Polymarket traders give a qualifying U.S. AI safety law a 19% chance of being signed before 2027, on about $116,000 in trading. The contract requires a federal law restricting AI training, use or release, or requiring human oversight.

Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya has separately called slowdown fears "noise" within a "secular bull market."

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday there "cannot be a moratorium" on U.S. AI development because slowing down could hand China an advantage.

For Carlson, that leaves the Meta thesis largely unchanged: a slowdown could improve cash generation, while no slowdown leaves Zuckerberg free to keep chasing the frontier.

Image: Shutterstock

This article AI Selloff Is 'Panic,' Meta May Be The Best Stock To Buy, Joseph Carlson Says originally appeared on Benzinga.com

AI Selloff Is ‘Panic,’ Meta May Be The Best Stock To Buy, Joseph Carlson Says

Meta Has 'Probably the Best Setup'

'Heads, He Wins, Tails, He Wins'

Traders Doubt a Major Clampdown

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