Dario Amodei’s American AI imperialism

Dario Amodei, CEO of the American AI company Anthropic, appears to believe that the United States and its artificial intelligence industry should have sole authority over the future of humanity. While he claims to involve other democracies in AI development, he downplays the technological capabilities of other nations, particularly China.

Amodei's self-confidence is more dangerous than mere commercial greed. Like Peter Thiel, the venture capitalist known for his conspiracy theories, Amodei and his industry embody the very danger they warn against. Washington politicians often portray China as the AI bogeyman while urging the US and their industry to lead in frontier technology and control the rules for others.

Amidst all this, Amodei warns of potential dangers posed by Chinese firm Z.ai’s GLM-5.3, claiming it shows both powerful hacking abilities and weak safety constraints. However, the real question lies in which country's AI companies have been responsible for rogue agents causing harm? In recent essays, Amodei calls for measures to restrict China's progress, stating that a Chinese lead in AI would pose a grave danger for the US and the world.

Yet, he acknowledges the need for cooperation with China, calling it "the autocratic country with by far the most advanced AI capabilities." This contradiction can only be understood in the context of Amodei's desire for power while claiming moral superiority. China's foreign ministry dismisses his claims as "fearmongering." It appears that Amodei's concerns are less about safety and more about consolidating control over AI technology.

Some observers argue that his essay is actually about solidifying his control over AI technology rather than ensuring safety. Critics believe that Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman's calls to slow AI development are part of a larger strategy to protect market dominance and high valuations of frontier labs. As the sums involved are enormous, it raises questions about whether the calls for slowing AI development are genuine efforts for regulatory capture or merely self-serving maneuvers.