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Tech powerhouse’s regulatory push bears similarities to a notorious Washington strategy

4:11 PM ETDeveloping

Technology Desk

In Short: On September 29, Anthropic co-founder Dario Amodei joined other tech executives at the White House to sign a voluntary agreement outlining safety standards for AI systems.

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, has been advocating for increased government regulation of AI, a strategy that mirrors the tactics used by Sam Bankman-Fried during his time as a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, according to a review of public records by Fox News.

Bankman-Fried, who was convicted of fraud, previously described his public stance on regulation as merely 'PR' in a social media message published after the collapse of his company, FTX.

Anthropic has been urging Washington to implement regulatory measures to address the potential risks posed by advanced AI models, emphasizing national security and public safety concerns.

Amodei has been vocal about the need for regulatory oversight, stating on social media weeks before FTX's collapse that 'we need regulatory oversight and customer protection.'

During his testimony before Congress, Amodei argued that crypto regulation should ensure 'system safety and soundness,' a stance that echoes his current advocacy for AI regulation.

Anthropic's lobbying efforts have included warnings to lawmakers about the serious national security and public safety risks posed by advanced AI, and Amodei has called for a mandatory 'testing and auditing regime' to block unsafe AI deployments.

Critics, such as Brian Chau, founder of an AI-driven news platform, have compared Anthropic's regulatory push to Bankman-Fried's lobbying strategy, suggesting that it may be a form of regulatory capture.

Former Trump administration AI advisor David Sacks accused Anthropic of using fear-mongering to advance a regulatory agenda that could harm the startup ecosystem.

What this adds

What's still developing

• Bankman-Fried, meanwhile, later said his public posture on regulation was essentially "just PR" in a social media direct-message exchange published days after FTX collapsed.
• Amodei joined other major tech executives at the White House on Sept. 29, where they signed a voluntary agreement outlining safety standards for companies developing powerful AI systems.
• "Do you guys remember what Sam Bankman-Fried was doing when he was caught red-handed. Aggressively lobbying Washington to ban his competitors," Brian Chau, the founder of a news platform that leverages AI to aid in investigations, said in response to a piece written by Amodei calling for federal AI regulation.
• Artificial intelligence regulation takes center stage as tech leaders warn of existential risks.
• "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Sources

• Fox Newslink