Anthropic CEO Slams Nvidia Over AI Control Claims Calls It Outrageous Lie

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has escalated his public disagreement with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, calling accusations that he seeks to control the AI industry an “outrageous lie.” The exchange unfolded during an emotionally charged interview with tech journalist Alex Kantrowitz on the Big Technology podcast on July 30. Amodei denied claims that he wants to monopolize AI development, insisting that his focus has always been on ensuring the technology is built safely and responsibly [1].

Amodei’s strong response was deeply personal. He referenced the death of his father in 2006—an event that left a profound impact on his views of technology and human potential. His father’s illness, which had a cure rate that improved dramatically in just a few years, reinforced his belief in the power of innovation. However, it also highlighted the urgency of managing risks associated with technological advancement. Amodei argued that AI offers the potential to solve complex problems—like those in biology—that are “beyond human scale.” Yet, he warned that without careful oversight, the risks could outweigh the benefits [1].

Amodei described himself not as a “doomer,” but as a “realistic optimist.” While he has long sounded dire warnings about AI’s potential to displace jobs and destabilize industries, he emphasized that he is equally, if not more, focused on the technology’s benefits. He criticized others who label themselves as “optimists” or “accelerationists” for failing to articulate the transformative potential of AI as clearly or compellingly as he and his company, Anthropic, do [1].

In the AI space, the term “optimist” often refers to those who believe in rapid innovation and minimal regulation, with venture capitalist Marc Andreessen representing the movement through his “techno-optimist manifesto” and promotion of “effective accelerationism.” Amodei rejected the idea that optimism and caution are mutually exclusive, stating that the real challenge is ensuring that progress is aligned with societal good. “We can have such a good world if we get everything right,” he said [1].

Amodei also took issue with Nvidia’s advocacy for open-source AI development, which he called a “red herring.” He argued that large language models are inherently opaque, making the concept of open-source AI misleading. He further criticized Nvidia’s position that increased regulation could stifle innovation, calling it a “race to the bottom” that prioritizes speed over safety. Instead, Amodei advocates for a “race to the top,” where companies compete to build the safest, most transparent systems [1].

Anthropic, under Amodei’s leadership, was the first to publish a responsible scaling policy aimed at promoting safer AI development. The company has also shared safety research, including work on interpretability and constitutional AI, as a public good. Amodei emphasized that these efforts are part of a broader push for a national transparency standard in AI development [1].

Amodei also reflected on his departure from OpenAI and the founding of Anthropic, noting that he left due to a lack of trust and sincerity in how other companies approached AI safety. He stressed the importance of leaders who are “trustworthy” and “sincere,” arguing that without genuine commitment to ethical goals, AI development cannot succeed [1].

Amodei’s comments also touched on the broader AI debate, where he criticized both extreme camps. He dismissed overly pessimistic views that AI cannot be built safely as “nonsense,” while also rejecting what he called the “intellectually and morally unserious” positions of certain “doomers.” He urged more thoughtful, honest engagement with the issue and called for more people to act against their own self-interest in favor of the greater good [1].

Nvidia responded by reiterating its support for “safe, responsible, and transparent AI.” The company emphasized that its ecosystem of startups and open-source contributors is actively working to enhance AI safety. It criticized Amodei’s call for stricter regulation, arguing that it could hinder innovation and limit access to AI [1].

Anthropic reaffirmed its support for strong and balanced export controls and transparency standards, stating that Dario Amodei has never claimed that only Anthropic can build safe AI. The company emphasized its commitment to public accountability and collaboration in shaping the future of AI [1].

Source: [1] Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei escalates war of words with Jensen Huang, calling out ‘outrageous lie’ and getting emotional about father’s death (https://fortune.com/2025/08/01/dario-amodei-outrageous-lie-jensen-huang-anthropic-nvidia-regulation/)