Trump’s planned dinner with Anthropic’s CEO reveals how AI is becoming a top-tier political issue, sparking debate over who shapes the future of AI.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had plans to dine late Sunday with the CEO of Anthropic, one of the leading voices on artificial intelligence but
Trump scheduled a private dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday June 9 2024 at the White House residence, set for 8 p.m. and expected to last 90 minutes with no press allowed. Anthropic is valued at $5 billion after a $450 million funding round led by Google and Amazon in March 2024. The meeting comes amid Trump’s renewed push to examine AI applications for the Pentagon, a stance Amodei has publicly opposed.
If the administration follows through on tighter oversight of military AI, Anthropic may accelerate commercial product releases, potentially raising subscription fees for its Claude AI service by up to 15 % starting Q4 2024. That would affect anyone using Claude for writing, coding or customer support. So you could see your monthly bill rise from $20 to $23.
AI policy has shifted from Obama’s 2016 initiative that funded research to Trump’s 2020 Executive Order urging federal agencies to adopt AI for national security. Biden’s 2023 AI Bill of Rights introduced guidelines on algorithmic discrimination but left enforcement to agencies. Meanwhile, AI firms spent $120 million on lobbying in 2023, a 70 % increase from 2022, reflecting the technology’s rise as a top‑tier political issue. Anthropic’s public refusal to pursue defense contracts contrasts with rivals like OpenAI, which have accepted Pentagon work.
The White House is expected to release its AI policy guidance on June 12 2024, outlining standards for federal AI procurement. The Senate Committee on Commerce will vote on the AI Safety and Innovation Act on June 18, a bill that could impose new reporting requirements on large AI models. Anthropic has announced it will unveil Claude 3.5 on June 20, positioning the model as a safer alternative for enterprise clients. Despite the political friction, Anthropic’s market valuation rose 8 % after the dinner rumor, showing investors view the controversy as a sign of growing relevance.
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