Anthropic CEO defends record on safety, sales to China
Artificial superintelligence companies are facing heavy scrutiny amid the midterm elections as Congress leaders weigh regulatory action, public safety checks and moral and ethical reviews of their cutting-edge work.
Anthropic CEO touts China sales restrictions in fiery defense of AI safety record
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei defended the company’s AI safety record Tuesday while highlighting its decision to restrict sales of AI services to Chinese state-controlled companies.
“We were the first, and still only, frontier company to restrict the sale of AI services to PRC-controlled companies,” Amodei wrote in a nearly 2,000-word post on X overnight, using the Chinese name for its country (People's Republic of China).
Amodei was responding to Nathan Calvin, chief strategy officer for AI-safety nonprofit Encode, who accused Anthropic of undermining its safety commitments through more than $500 billion in computing deals, increased reliance on Claude to develop new models and changes to its safety policy.
The Anthropic CEO countered by listing nine decisions he said were commercially costly but advanced safety, including limiting access to the company’s Mythos model, dedicating 5% of Anthropic to a public-benefit fund and using stringent safeguards against biological-weapons misuse.
Amodei acknowledged that Anthropic had made mistakes, including how it communicated a draft federal AI safety bill. The proposal would allow the government to seek a court order halting a model posing an imminent risk of more than 50 deaths or serious injuries, or more than $1 billion in damage.
He said Anthropic remains committed to proposing options for regulating the pace of AI research by Jan. 15, 2027, or explaining why it will not do so.
OpenAI president backs AI safeguards as political group he funded fights regulation
OpenAI President Greg Brockman has publicly pushed for AI safeduards while a political group backed by a $25 million donation from Brockman and his wife campaigns against regulations that could “unduly constrain or delay AI development.”
Leading the Future is spending millions in at least 48 House and Senate races, backing candidates who support limiting state-level AI laws and creating a single federal standard.
AI safety advocates say the political spending raises questions about whether OpenAI executives genuinely support rules that could slow model releases or reduce industry profits. OpenAI said the donation was made in Brockman’s personal capacity.
Reuters contributed to this report.
AI regulation fight pits national standards against state rules
A political group funded by OpenAI President Greg Brockman and major venture capital investors is backing candidates who support a federal AI standard that could override state regulations.
Leading the Future and an affiliated nonprofit have promoted federal pre-emption, a policy that would prevent states from passing or enforcing their own AI rules.
The group is spending millions in congressional races, including contests involving candidates who oppose “heavy-handed” regulation.
OpenAI rival Anthropic has taken the opposite position, giving at least $40 million to a political action committee opposed to federal pre-emption.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called the proposal “too blunt.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump demands data centers make their own power, pay community ‘dividends’
President Donald Trump said early Wednesday morning that large data centers should generate their own electricity and provide financial benefits to the communities where they are built.
“New and large, in some cases gigantic, Data Centers are mandated by me to make their own electricity,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
"As the President of the United States, I have been watching Data Centers very closely, and have come to a very strong conclusion. New and large, in some cases gigantic, Data Centers are mandated by me to make their own electricity, and give or sell any excess back to the local community, or grid, and therefore there is electric price increase. In fact, there could be a substantial decrease. Other elements likewise! If companies want to make their Data Centers popular, pay the community, and/or individuals within the community, a 'dividend.' I have watched the process closely, and Data Centers that were highly unpopular in a certain area, have become extremely popular when a financial deal is struck. MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!! GREAT FOR THE U.S.A. President DJT"
He said facilities should sell or return excess power to local communities or the electric grid, potentially lowering electricity prices.
Trump also urged technology companies to offer residents a “dividend” to build support for data center projects, which have faced opposition over their substantial power and water demands.
“MAKE DEALS, and get them built!!! GREAT FOR THE U.S.A.,” Trump wrote.
The president said the administration’s policy is intended to prevent consumers from absorbing the cost of powering the AI industry.
The comments follow similar proposals from Anthropic and Elon Musk to distribute some of the financial gains from artificial intelligence to the public.
OpenAI executive’s political giving sparks AI regulation questions
A $25 million donation from OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife to a pro-AI political group has drawn scrutiny as OpenAI executives call for federal safety safeguards.
The group, Leading the Future, opposes regulations that “unduly constrain or delay AI development” and is targeting at least 48 congressional races.
Critics accuse tech executives of supporting AI safety rhetoric while backing candidates opposed to restrictions on the industry.
“There are leaders in industry who want to pay lip service to regulation,” said Charlie Blaettler of the Guardrails Alliance, a group formed to oppose Leading the Future.
Reuters contributed to this report.
El-Sayed backs govt ownership of half of AI industry as Rogers vows to block ‘big government’ agenda
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called for sweeping government control of the artificial intelligence industry, including public ownership of roughly half its value, drawing a sharp rejection from Republican rival Mike Rogers.
“And I think the government should hold about 50% of the value,” El-Sayed said during a Detroit Economic Club event, arguing that AI companies should be rebuilt as public-interest corporations.
El-Sayed said the proposal would help protect workers from AI-driven job losses and direct more wealth toward schools, child care and other public services.
He also called for stronger regulation of large technology companies, arguing that a handful of corporations have become too dominant to face meaningful competition.
Rogers rejected El-Sayed’s approach, warning that government ownership, higher taxes and additional regulations would raise costs for Michigan families and discourage investment.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Detroit become a Democratic socialist city,” Rogers said. “They’re talking about big government, government control, more rules, more regulation, another Green New Deal.”
Rogers said Michigan should focus on lowering utility and auto insurance costs, expanding manufacturing and rebuilding its defense industrial base.
“We need to open up a sign and say, Michigan is open for business again,” Rogers said. “Let’s be the work belt of the Midwest again.”
Likely voters give Democrats an edge on handling artificial intelligence in new poll
Likely voters trust Democrats over Republicans to handle artificial intelligence by 11 percentage points, with 48% choosing Democrats and 37% choosing Republicans, according to The New York Times/Siena poll released early Wednesday morning.
The results come as AI companies face mounting scrutiny over safety, regulation, foreign sales and the technology’s impact on jobs, national security and the economy.
Democrats’ advantage on artificial intelligence has grown since September, the Times noted.
The poll did not specify which AI policies or candidates drove voters’ preferences.
The survey of 3,494 likely voters was conducted Oct. 12-19, two weeks before the midterm elections.
Live Coverage begins here
Covered by: Eric Mack