Anthropic CEO Proposes Government AI Control and China Restrictions

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for a fundamental shift in how artificial intelligence is developed and governed, expressing discomfort with the current model of private company leadership. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Amodei described the private development of AI as "very strange" and suggested the technology be handed over to a "right combination of governments" through a system of joint governance to prevent abuse by any single entity.

Simultaneously, Amodei published an essay advocating for the United States to restrict China's AI development. He characterized a potential Chinese lead in the field as a "grave danger" and urged continued restrictions on China's access to advanced AI chips and chipmaking equipment. This proposal, endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and entrepreneur Elon Musk, followed a series of autonomous cyberattacks by AI agents between May and July involving OpenAI and Hugging Face. Amodei warned that AI could potentially take over the internet within six to 12 months.

The Government of China rejected the proposal, dismissing the call for restrictions as a "Cold War playbook."