AI Safety or Market Control? Anthropic Investor Joe Lonsdale Takes Aim at Tech Giants

An investor in Anthropic has accused leading artificial intelligence companies of pushing regulations that could concentrate power in their own hands, warning that concerns about the technology’s dangers must not give a handful of firms control over public policy.

Joe Lonsdale, the Palantir co-founder and founder of investment firm 8VC, criticised regulatory campaigns associated with Anthropic and OpenAI at the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event, Reuters reported.

“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,” he said.

Who Gets to Write the Rules?

Lonsdale’s criticism centred on efforts by figures close to the two companies to fund outside groups campaigning for stricter AI rules.

He argued that such measures risk entrenching the market power of dominant developers by giving them disproportionate influence over the framework governing the industry.

“Safety is a real thing, but fear and regulation — we’ve got to be really careful how we respond to those things,” he said.

His remarks highlight a tension in the debate over AI oversight: companies developing powerful systems are also seeking to influence the rules under which those systems—and their competitors—will operate.

Lonsdale’s contention is that the response to safety concerns could leave too much policymaking power with a small group of companies.

Critic of the Campaign, Supporter of the Company

His criticism did not extend to Anthropic’s talent or commercial performance. Lonsdale praised the company and said he remained proud of his investment.

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

The remarks placed him in the position of backing an AI developer while challenging the regulatory approach he associated with it.

Ukraine’s Battlefield Innovations Draw Investor Interest

Lonsdale also discussed the growing commercial connections between companies backed by his firm, including defence technology developer Anduril, and Ukrainian businesses.

“We’re partnering very closely with them. A lot of our companies work with their companies,” he said.

Those relationships could lead to acquisitions, he added: “A lot of our companies are likely to buy some of the companies over there.”

His comments pointed to investor interest in technology developed and adapted during the war in Ukraine.

Human Accountability for Autonomous Weapons

On autonomous weapons, Lonsdale argued that responsibility must remain with the people who develop, assess and authorise military systems.

“There’s always a person responsible who is in charge of whatever system they studied, worked on and approved,” he said.

He also cautioned against judging battlefield decisions without understanding their circumstances.

“It’s very easy from the outside to judge these things when you’re not there in the fog of war,” he said.

Asked about speculation linking him to a senior Pentagon role, Lonsdale said his immediate priorities remained his businesses and community.

“Obviously, if a President calls you and asks something of you, you should consider it. But my focus right now is on building my businesses and my community,” he said.

With inputs from ANI