### Anthropic Opposes the Extreme AI Liability Bill That OpenAI Backed
An anthropic AI company has come out against a proposed Illinois law backed by OpenAI, highlighting a clash between two leading US AI labs. The bill, known as SB 3444, aims to shield AI labs from liability in the event of large-scale harm caused by their systems.
While AI policy experts emphasize that the legislation has minimal chance of becoming law, the disagreement over the bill underscores growing divisions between Anthropic and OpenAI. Anthropic is lobbying state senator Bill Cunningham, sponsor of the bill, to either modify it or kill it as it stands.
In an email to WIRED, Anthropic’s spokesperson confirmed the company’s opposition to SB 3444 and said they are in conversation with Cunningham about using the bill as a starting point for future legislation. “We understand that Senator Cunningham cares deeply about AI safety,” said Cesar Fernandez, Anthropic’s head of US state and local government relations.
OpenAI argues that SB 3444 reduces the risk of serious harm from frontier AI systems while allowing these technologies to reach small and large businesses in Illinois. The company contends it has worked with states like New York and California on a “harmonized” approach, which includes transparency and accountability measures for mitigating potential risks.
The debate centers around who should be held responsible when an AI-enabled disaster occurs—routinely ignored by US lawmakers until recently. If SB 3444 were passed, a lab would not be held liable if a bad actor used its AI model to create a bioweapon that results in hundreds of deaths, provided the lab had drafted its own safety framework and published it on their website.
OpenAI contends this approach allows for these technologies to reach small and large businesses without placing undue responsibility on them. Anthropic advocates for transparency and accountability measures that mitigate serious harms from frontier AI systems while ensuring public safety and liability protection.
The disagreement highlights the political tensions between the two companies as they ramp up lobbying efforts across the country, potentially leading to further division among lawmakers who must grapple with this unprecedented scenario of dealing with future risks posed by AI.
Originally published at Unknown. Curated by AI Maestro.
