Sara Hack, head of policy at Anthropic, announced on Wednesday at the "Decoded" conference in Washington that the United States must remain at the forefront of this technology to enhance AI safety and cannot do so from a second-place position.
The Necessity of Leadership in AI
Hack stated at the conference: "America must lead in AI, and safety cannot be guaranteed from a second-place position." Her remarks reflect sentiments that have been repeatedly expressed by former President Donald Trump and his advisors.
Call for Export Controls
Hack repeatedly defended Anthropic's long history of attention to safety issues and stated that the company is committed to working with lawmakers to pass new regulations in the technology sector. She added: "We believe this is existential, and we must balance the risks now. Capabilities are rapidly increasing, and this trend is accelerating."
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, called on Saturday for a slowdown in the development of advanced AI models, facing swift support from rival lab leaders like Sam Altman of OpenAI and Elon Musk of SpacexAI. This request came just days after Jacob Coxon, an Anthropic researcher, stirred controversy by resigning to warn that AI companies are "gambling with our lives."
Reactions to Safety Requests
Amodei's proposal also faced criticism from Trump, who accused him of pretending to be a "perfect angel" and dismissed the need for additional safety measures for AI. Progressive Representative Greg Casar from Texas also stated at the conference that he met with Hack on Tuesday and asked Anthropic to halt the development of its most advanced AI models. He said: "This is not a halt on all AI, but a pause on the most dangerous research and development."
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