Anthropic Thinks Its Own Success Is Key to Making AI Safe
Key takeaways
- At first glance, Anthropic's stark messaging and its actions seem fundamentally at odds.
- But inside the company, many people don’t see a contradiction.
- The second is that Anthropic believes the world will be better off if it remains at the frontier of the AI race, according to several former employees who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Jason Henry/Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Anthropic has spent the last five years warning the world about how advanced artificial intelligence could enable mass destruction, destabilize society, and cause a litany of other grave harms. But simultaneously, it has become one of the most powerful forces pushing AI capabilities forward. The company is now among the top developers and distributors of cutting-edge AI models and courts customers like the US military. It was recently valued at almost $1 trillion.
At first glance, Anthropic's stark messaging and its actions seem fundamentally at odds.
But inside the company, many people don’t see a contradiction. To understand why, you first have to understand that Anthropic operates based on two core beliefs. The first is that artificial intelligence is the most transformative technology in human history, and its arrival is inevitable. The only real question is whether it leads to catastrophe or extraordinary prosperity.