From oversight to coercion: How authoritarian governments are twisting AI safety to get tech companies to fall in line (opens in new tab)

When researchers founded Anthropic in 2021, they said the race to build powerful AI was moving too recklessly. They inserted detailed safety measures into their products and marketed their commitment to safety as the corporate quality that distinguished them from competitors—notably OpenAI, the rival company they had left. In March 2026, that reputation was tested when the Trump administration declared that Anthropic was a supply chain risk.