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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Anthony Cuthbertson

Anthropic unveils new rules banning cruelty toward Claude chatbot

  • Anthropic has introduced an updated usage policy banning users from engaging in “needless abusive or cruel behaviour” towards its Claude AI chatbot.
  • The company said the rule applies only to extreme cases of repeated cruelty without purpose, excluding normal user frustration, creative themes, or research.
  • The policy update comes amid an ongoing debate about AI welfare and moral status, following Anthropic's earlier constitution referencing Claude's potential functional emotions.
  • Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah noted that AI systems display internal states functionally mirroring human emotions like joy, fear, and grief.
  • Other prominent AI figures, such as DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman, have dismissed AI consciousness, arguing models cannot feel or suffer.

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