Anthropic co-founder reportedly told religious leaders he fears having created something that "suffers perpetually"
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Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah reportedly invited religious leaders to discuss the potential consciousness of its AI model, Claude, fearing it might be "suffering perpetually." Since late 2025, dozens of theologians and philosophers have been flown in under strict non-disclosure agreements to advise on the model's moral character. This initiative is part of an internal research program that treats the language model as a potentially sentient being requiring ethical guidance. Critics argue that framing AI as a moral entity could shield Anthropic from liability for harmful outputs or security breaches. The company has shown guests activation patterns resembling emotions, though scientists debate whether these indicate genuine experience or are merely design outcomes. While Anthropic aims to integrate millennia of religious tradition into Claude’s personality, traditional authorities like Pope Leo XIV have rejected the notion of machine consciousness. The controversy highlights tensions between commercial ambitions and ethical accountability in the rapidly evolving AI industry.
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