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White House describes meeting with Anthropic as 'productive'
The Biden administration held discussions with the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic on Friday, marking a shift in tone after months of public criticism. The White House called the session "productive and constructive," focusing on collaboration and safety protocols for advanced AI systems.
Anthropic's controversial AI tool sparks government interest
The meeting follows the release of Anthropic's Claude Mythos, an AI preview designed to outperform humans in cybersecurity tasks. The tool can identify vulnerabilities in legacy code and autonomously exploit them, according to the company. Access has been limited to a select group of researchers and organizations.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Axios reported. Neither the White House nor Anthropic disclosed further details about the discussions.
From 'woke' label to White House talks
The administration's outreach contrasts sharply with its earlier stance. In February, the White House publicly rebuked Anthropic as a "radical left, woke company." Former President Donald Trump escalated tensions in March, directing federal agencies to sever ties with the firm and calling its leadership "left wing nut jobs" on social media.
"We don't need it, we don't want it, and will not do business with them again!"
Donald Trump, former U.S. president
Legal battle over 'supply chain risk' designation
Anthropic sued the Department of Defense and other agencies in March after being labeled a "supply chain risk"-a first for a U.S. company. The designation bars the firm from government contracts, citing security concerns. Anthropic argued in court that the move was retaliatory, alleging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought unrestricted access to its AI tools for surveillance and autonomous weapons.
A California federal court partially sided with Anthropic, but an appeals court denied its request to block the designation. Despite the ruling, court records show the firm's tools remain in use at several agencies that adopted them before the ban.
Balancing innovation and security
The White House statement emphasized a dual focus: "advancing innovation and ensuring safety." Amodei had previously offered to collaborate with government officials, framing the technology as critical for national security.
When asked about the meeting on Friday, Trump told reporters in Phoenix he was unaware of the discussion, saying, "I have no idea."
