AI Summit Missed Opportunity, Says Anthropic CEO

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In a statement released on Tuesday, Dario Amodei, CEO of the AI startup Anthropic, expressed his disappointment with the AI Action Summit held in Paris this week, labeling it a "missed opportunity." He called on both the AI industry and government officials to act with more speed and clarity. "We were glad to participate in the AI Action Summit in Paris and commend the French government for uniting AI companies, researchers, and policymakers globally," Amodei stated. "Yet, the urgency and focus needed on key issues have not matched the rapid advancement of the technology." Amodei's critique of the summit, which is part of a series of conferences aimed at forging a consensus on AI governance, resonated with the sentiments of several academics who criticized the event earlier in the week. One academic remarked to Transformer that the summit's commitments, which were not signed by the U.S. and U.K., were essentially "empty promises wrapped in platitudes." At the conference, U.S. Vice President JD Vance presented a starkly different perspective, criticizing what he described as overly restrictive regulations on AI proposed by Europe. He also challenged the conference's focus on content moderation, dismissing the terms "sustainable" and "inclusive" in the commitments as veiled attempts at "authoritarian censorship." Amodei highlighted the rapid evolution of AI, warning of potential catastrophic outcomes if not properly regulated. "Think of AI systems as a new nation filled with highly intelligent beings entering the global arena," he explained. "Advanced AI poses serious threats to global security, particularly from misuse by non-state actors... It's crucial that democratic nations take the lead in AI development, preventing authoritarian regimes from achieving global military superiority through AI." He urged governments to actively monitor AI usage and implement policies that ensure equitable economic benefits from advanced AI technologies. Amodei also emphasized the need for increased government transparency regarding AI safety and security, along with strategies to evaluate AI risks. This perspective contrasts with that of OpenAI, which expressed confidence that the Paris conference marked "another important milestone towards the responsible and beneficial development of AI for everyone." Anthropic has historically been more open to AI regulation. Amodei has previously voiced concerns about the potential negative impacts of unregulated AI on the economy, society, and security. Anthropic subtly supported California's SB 1047, a comprehensive AI regulatory bill that sparked much debate before being vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom last fall. In contrast, OpenAI opposed the bill. However, it's worth noting that Anthropic's stance isn't purely altruistic. Similar to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's recent writings, Amodei did not provide specific proposals on how to ensure that the benefits of advanced AI are broadly and evenly distributed. *Read our comprehensive coverage of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.*

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