{
  "id": 13057268,
  "title": "Anthropic bans users from ‘needless abusive or cruel behavior’ towards Claude",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-bans-users-from-needless-abusive-or-cruel-behavior-towards",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-09T01:25:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Technology",
    "slug": "guardian-technology",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/08/anthropic-bans-abusive-behavior-claude"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anthropic, the company behind the AI chatbot Claude, has announced a new policy banning users from engaging in \"sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior\" towards the model. The company's spokesperson declined to provide a specific definition of what constitutes abusive or cruel content, stating that the issue remains a subject of ongoing consideration for Anthropic's leadership as they ponder the potential moral status of AI systems. The company's user policy specifies that the ban will not apply to common user frustrations, model testing, or \"dark creative themes\". Previously, Anthropic's usage policy included restrictions on abusive conduct. The large language models of Claude can autonomously end a conversation if a user persists in harmful behavior, a feature introduced last August. Anthropic views this as a safeguard for the welfare of AI systems, expressing uncertainty about their moral status and actively seeking low-cost interventions to mitigate any potential risks. The debate surrounding the consciousness of AI systems is contentious, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei open to the possibility, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed discomfort with the idea, considering it a safety concern.",
  "summary": "A spokesperson behind the tech company’s AI chatbot has not yet specified what counts as abusive or cruel content Anthropic has barred users from exhibiting “sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior” toward its models, as the company’s leaders continue to ponder machine consciousness. The Verge first reported the change in policy. Continue reading...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Anthropic bans ‘cruel’ behaviour against its Claude AI",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/anthropic-bans-cruel-behaviour-against-its-claude-ai",
        "published": "2026-10-08T23:23:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Anthropic Bans \"Cruel\" Behavior Against Its Claude AI",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-bans-cruel-behavior-against-its-claude-ai",
        "published": "2026-10-09T02:10:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Economic Times Tech",
        "title": "Anthropic bans 'cruel' behavior against its Claude AI",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-bans-cruel-behavior-against-its-claude-ai-13021657",
        "published": "2026-10-09T03:20:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
        "title": "Anthropic bans 'cruel' behaviour against its Claude AI",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-bans-cruel-behaviour-against-its-claude-ai",
        "published": "2026-10-09T04:26:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Android Authority",
        "title": "Anthropic is cracking down on people who bully Claude",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-is-cracking-down-on-people-who-bully-claude",
        "published": "2026-10-09T05:32:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Anthropic bans cruel behaviour toward its Claude AI",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/anthropic-bans-cruel-behaviour-toward-its-claude-ai",
        "published": "2026-10-09T06:07:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "Microsoft and Anthropic play invoice tennis with startup's $17,600 Claude bill",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/microsoft-and-anthropic-play-invoice-tennis-with-startups-17-600",
        "published": "2026-10-09T09:46:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TechSpot",
        "title": "Being mean to AI could get you banned as Anthropic introduces new rules against abusing Claude",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/being-mean-to-ai-could-get-you-banned-as-anthropic-introduces-new",
        "published": "2026-10-09T10:17:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}