In response to recent accusations from Trump administration officials, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has issued a statement to clarify the company’s stance on artificial intelligence (AI) policy and its commitment to responsible AI development.
Amodei emphasized that Anthropic is founded on the principle that AI should serve as a force for human progress rather than peril. He stated, That means making products that are genuinely useful, speaking honestly about risks and benefits, and working with anyone serious about getting this right.
This statement comes after a series of criticisms from AI leaders and members of the Trump administration, including AI czar David Sacks and White House senior policy advisor for AI Sriram Krishnan. They have accused Anthropic of fear-mongering to hinder the AI industry’s growth.
The controversy began when Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark shared his perspectives on AI, describing it as a powerful and somewhat unpredictable entity. In response, Sacks accused Anthropic of orchestrating a regulatory strategy based on fear-mongering, claiming it is responsible for a regulatory frenzy damaging the startup ecosystem.
California Senator Scott Wiener, author of AI safety bill SB 53, defended Anthropic, criticizing President Trump’s efforts to prevent states from acting on AI without advancing federal protections. Sacks countered by alleging that Anthropic was collaborating with Wiener to impose a left-leaning vision of AI regulation.
Amodei addressed these allegations by highlighting Anthropic’s collaboration with the federal government, including offering their AI model, Claude, to federal agencies and securing a $200 million agreement with the Department of Defense. He also noted the company’s public support for Trump’s AI Action Plan and efforts to expand energy provision to maintain America’s lead in AI development.
Despite these collaborations, Anthropic has faced criticism for opposing a proposed 10-year ban on state-level AI regulation, a provision that received bipartisan pushback. Amodei argued that the real risk lies in the U.S. supplying powerful AI chips to China, emphasizing that Anthropic restricts the sale of its AI services to China-controlled companies, even at the expense of revenue.
Furthermore, Anthropic supported California’s SB 53, a safety bill requiring large AI developers to disclose frontier model safety protocols. Amodei pointed out that the bill exempts companies with annual gross revenue below $500 million, thereby not burdening most startups.
Amodei refuted claims that Anthropic aims to harm the startup ecosystem, stating that startups are among their most important customers. He highlighted that Claude powers a new generation of AI-native companies and that damaging the ecosystem would be counterproductive for Anthropic.
He also noted that Anthropic has grown from a $1 billion to a $7 billion run-rate over the past nine months while deploying AI thoughtfully and responsibly.
In conclusion, Amodei reiterated Anthropic’s commitment to constructive engagement on public policy matters, emphasizing honesty and straightforwardness in advocating for policies they believe are right. He stressed that the stakes of AI technology are too significant to do otherwise.
