Anthropic Investor Lonsdale Accuses AI Firms of Using Fear to Shape Policy

Joe Lonsdale, an investor in AI firm Anthropic and co-founder of Palantir, asserted Friday that some leading artificial intelligence companies are dangerously using warnings of existential risk to shape public policy in their favor. He argued that these efforts are aimed at creating a market oligopoly controlled by a few key players.

A Push for 'Regulatory Capture'

Speaking at the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event, Lonsdale criticized what he described as a coordinated campaign by individuals associated with OpenAI and Anthropic. He claimed they are funding outside groups to advocate for stringent AI regulation, a move he believes is designed to entrench their own market power and stifle competition.

"I think that what OpenAI and Anthropic are pushing right now is very dangerous, and we don’t want an oligopoly that controls all of our policy here with the government," Lonsdale stated. He added that while safety is a genuine concern, fear should not be the primary driver of regulation.

Lonsdale's comments stand in contrast to recent public statements from industry leaders. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have both recently called for a slower pace of development for the most advanced AI models, citing potential risks to humanity if safeguards are not adequate.

A Nuanced Stance

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Despite his sharp criticism of the companies' policy-shaping tactics, Lonsdale, who is a small investor in Anthropic, also praised the firm. He acknowledged that the company has assembled exceptional talent and has become a leader in the AI sector.

"It’s very hard for anyone to second-guess the highest-performing company in the world over the last few years," Lonsdale said, according to Reuters. "I’m proud to be an investor in Anthropic."

Views on Defense and Technology

Lonsdale, who founded the venture capital firm 8VC and has backed defense technology companies like Anduril, also commented on the future of warfare. He stated that while AI-powered autonomous weapons are inevitable, human accountability within the military chain of command must remain paramount.

He also noted that some of the defense firms he has backed are likely to acquire Ukrainian defense technology companies. Lonsdale highlighted the rapid battlefield innovations made by Ukrainian firms and sees opportunities for deeper partnerships and acquisitions.