GOP senator warns Anthropic of "alarmist" approach to AI

Stef W. Kight

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) speaks during a panel discussion at the Foundry School launch event at the U.S. Institute of Peace — Sen. Bernie Moreno speaks during a panel discussion at the U.S. Institute of Peace on Sept. 3 in Washington. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is urging Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei against an "alarmist approach" and "panic-inducing commentary" on AI, according to a letter sent Monday and obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: It's the latest example of President Trump's allies targeting Amodei. Moreno's letter comes ahead of Anthropic's expected historic IPO, with valuation estimates as high as nearly $2 trillion.

"I do not understand how you can ask them to invest their hard-earned savings in Anthropic's continued development while warning those same Americans that your product could ultimately lead to their extinction," Moreno wrote, referencing the expected IPO.

Zoom in: "With great power comes great responsibility," Moreno wrote, "and in this case, I am concerned that you are failing to meet the moment."

Moreno adopted Trump's new terminology, replacing artificial intelligence (AI) with super intelligence (SI).
He said Amodei's own words agreeing with "doomer" views about the potential for AI to kill humans, "indicate that your instinct is to wreak havoc on the public SI discourse."
Moreno urged more emphasis on how AI can also be used to protect against the very safety threats being warned about as well as how how it can strengthen national security and ensure the U.S. stays ahead of China.

Zoom out: Public concern over AI advancement and data centers has become a focus of the midterm election.

Moreno's fellow Ohio Republican, Sen. Jon Husted, has faced an onslaught of ads accusing him of being pro-data centers as he seeks re-election.

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GOP senator warns Anthropic of "alarmist" approach to AI

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