A leaked internal memo by Dario Amodei has triggered controversy in the global technology sector. In the memo, the Anthropic CEO accused rival OpenAI of trying to win favours from the Donald Trump administration through donations and public praise.
According to reports, the memo, about 1,600 words long, claims that Anthropic has faced pressure from the US government because it has not made similar political contributions. The allegations have intensified debate over the relationship between major technology companies and political power in the United States.
Leaked memo targets OpenAI leadership
In the document, Amodei directly criticised Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. He alleged that Brockman donated 25 million dollars to Trump's MAGA Inc fund, while Altman contributed 1 million dollars to the presidential inauguration ceremony.
Amodei wrote that such financial support and praise had helped OpenAI gain favour in Washington. He claimed that because Anthropic had not taken the same approach, the White House labelled the company a "supply chain risk".
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The memo has circulated widely in the technology sector and has raised questions about whether political relationships are influencing decisions involving artificial intelligence companies.
Pentagon contract suspension sparks debate
The controversy intensified after the United States Department of War recently suspended a contract involving Anthropic's Claude AI model. Amodei suggested that the company may have come under scrutiny because it attempted to set strict ethical "red lines" regarding the use of artificial intelligence in defence projects.
At the same time, he criticised OpenAI's defence partnerships. He described the company's safety measures as "safety theatre", implying that they were more symbolic than effective.
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Some commercial analysts say that if these allegations prove accurate, they could indicate growing political influence over the US technology industry. Observers have also compared the situation with political debates in other countries where opposition leaders accuse governments of favouring certain corporations in exchange for donations.
However, in this case the accusations did not come from a political rival. Instead, they emerged from within Silicon Valley itself, adding a new dimension to the debate over technology, politics and corporate influence.
