A Tech CEO’s Lonely Fight Against Trump: Dario Amodei’s Stance on AI Regulation
By Berber Jin and Amrith Ramkumar
September 18, 2025, 9:00 pm ET
As the technology world gathers to share accolades and alliances, one CEO stands notably apart. While industry giants like Sam Altman and Tim Cook recently praised President Donald Trump at a high-profile White House dinner, Dario Amodei, CEO of the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, charted a different course—choosing instead to remain at home in California, engaged in a solitary political battle.
Amodei’s opposition centers on Trump’s AI policies, which he views as recklessly permissive. Unlike many leaders who embrace a free-market approach championed by the current administration, Amodei urges caution, warning that a laissez-faire stance on AI development risks unleashing dangerous, uncontrolled consequences.
As the CEO of one of the leading AI companies globally, Amodei’s critique carries significant weight. His concerns focus on the need for robust, thoughtful regulation to ensure the technology’s safe evolution. Sources close to Anthropic reveal that Amodei has even gone against his own policy advisers’ recommendations to temper his opposition, driven by the conviction that government inaction could ignite a perilous technological trajectory.
This divide highlights a broader rift within the technology industry—between those who prioritize fostering innovation with minimal regulation and others who emphasize the ethical and safety imperatives posed by rapidly advancing AI.
Amodei’s stance reflects a growing unease among some sector leaders who fear that without oversight, the very tools designed to transform society might spiral beyond control. However, his outlier position places him in a vulnerable spot; while the industry’s most powerful voices align with the administration, Amodei’s lone resistance underscores the challenges faced when confronting entrenched political agendas.
As AI continues to dominate conversations within government and industry alike, the clash between Anthropic’s cautious approach and the White House’s free-market enthusiasm will likely shape the future trajectory of artificial intelligence policy—and the safe development of these transformative technologies.
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Photo caption: Dario Amodei at the World Economic Forum in Davos, January 2025. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES)
