Bill Gurley Warns Against Anthropic Influence on AI Regulation
Venture capitalist Bill Gurley posted on X about the potential for AI company Anthropic to shape regulation based on its 'ultimate goal or assumption' of AI control.
Venture capitalist Bill Gurley, a former general partner at Benchmark, stated on X today, November 10, that regulators should understand the 'ultimate goal or assumption' of AI company Anthropic.
Gurley's comments come as the artificial intelligence sector faces increasing scrutiny over its rapid development and societal impact.
Gurley's view implies that allowing companies with such long-term aims to influence regulation could lead to policies that favor closed AI models, potentially creating more billionaires and stifling open-source development.
Venture capitalist Bill Gurley, a former general partner at Benchmark, stated on X today, November 10, that regulators should understand the 'ultimate goal or assumption' of AI company Anthropic. Gurley highlighted, "Regulators should understand that 'building a technology that eventually controls us' is their ultimate goal or assumption. As such, this one company should be as far away from the regulation process as possible." He further noted that Anthropic is "actively in the mix" of the regulation process.
Gurley's comments come as the artificial intelligence sector faces increasing scrutiny over its rapid development and societal impact. Recent Gokhshtein coverage includes reports on Microsoft's stock drop during an Anthropic app launch and Nvidia's decline during a China ties investigation, underscoring the interconnectedness of AI and broader tech markets. Microsoft, a major tech player, saw its stock drop 2.2% today to $533.16. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index is at 32, indicating 'Fear' in the broader market sentiment.
Gurley's view implies that allowing companies with such long-term aims to influence regulation could lead to policies that favor closed AI models, potentially creating more billionaires and stifling open-source development. He suggests that the recent mid-terms, won on an anti-big tech and anti-billionaire message, will test this dynamic. The implication is a call for regulators to approach AI governance with skepticism toward those who envision AI models running the world.
“This is another 'must read' AI article in @nytimes. Jaron Lanier speaks with experience about Silicon Valley's ability to think fantastically about what their technology can do - to the point of radicalism. He unpacks Anthropic's unusual & error-prone approach to safety, which is a direct result of their religious belief that AI models will one-day run the world and 'manage the humans.' It's this belief that causes them to approach safety through 'alignment,' vs control & constraint. Regulators should understand that 'building a technology that eventually controls us' is their ultimate goal or assumption. As such, this one company should be as far away from the regulation process as possible. (unfortunately they are actively in the mix). The mid-terms were won on the message of being anti-big tech & anti-billionaire. This will be an interesting test. Anthropic has built the most-potent 'billionaire machine' ever created. If they get to write the regulation, they will try to kill open-models, and create 10x more billionaires than they already have. I will leave you with this from Jaron; 'Someone’s metaphysical beliefs should be protected and are none of my business. It is also reasonable for nonbelievers to refuse the imposition of a religion from others.'”
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