Anthropic CEO Amodei: No Ban on Open-Weight AI Models

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei clarifies his company's stance on open-weight AI models. He states that Anthropic has never advocated for a ban on these models. This comes after a coalition letter from companies like Nvidia and Microsoft urged policymakers against "premature restrictions." Amodei says the real focus should be on keeping powerful chips from authoritarian hands and stopping industrial-scale distillation. He also calls for safety testing for all capable models. Anthropic previously warned about a "distillation attack" by China's Alibaba against its Claude models. While Amodei agrees that open-weight models expand access and strengthen competition, he disagrees they inherently favor cyber defenders or make safeguards easier. He supports targeted legal frameworks over blanket restrictions. This highlights a growing divide in the AI industry regarding openness, innovation, and security.