cowed

American political leaders, cowed by warnings about China’s progress, resist tightening AI safety, allowing superintelligence work to continue.

The president’s refusal to be cowed by threatening Russian nuclear behavior is welcome.

"But we will not be intimidated. We will not be cowed."

"It is the classic authoritarian playbook, threaten, smear and lie, scare people into submission. But we will not be intimidated. We will not be cowed," Greenberg said.

For every political elite who has the guts to speak out right now, there are five more who have been cowed into silence.