Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Sam Altman Criticizes Anthropic’s Religious Approach to AI Morality
Sam Altman, who leads OpenAI, criticized an approach to thinking about AI and religion.
He said people should not give AI a special religious role or let it replace human judgment.
He called that a safety concern.
Anthropic, the company behind Claude, has reportedly met with religious thinkers and philosophers.
They have discussed how to help AI behave morally.
The reported participants came from several religious traditions.
Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman has also warned against treating AI as if it has feelings.
The article does not say that Anthropic has publicly responded to Altman.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized what he described as assigning religious force to AI or surrendering human judgment to AI models.
Altman called this a potential safety issue in a post on X on Saturday.
Anthropic has reportedly held private meetings with religious thinkers and philosophers while exploring how to teach AI to behave morally.
The reported participants included Catholic, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, and evangelical thinkers.
Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman has also warned that treating AI as if it has feelings could be dangerous.
- Who
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticized Anthropic’s reported consultations with religious thinkers and philosophers; Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman has also expressed concern about treating AI as if it has feelings.
- What
- Altman said that assigning religious force to AI or surrendering human judgment to AI models is uncomfortable and a safety issue.
- When
- Saturday; the article does not provide a date.
- Where
- Altman made his statement on X.
- Why
- Altman said the approach could pose a safety issue by encouraging people to assign religious force to AI or surrender human judgment.
Safety Concerns
Anthropic’s Reported Consultations
Religion and moral guidance for AI
Safety Concerns
Altman said he is uncomfortable with people assigning religious force to AI or surrendering human judgment to AI models, calling it a safety issue.
Anthropic’s Reported Consultations
Anthropic has reportedly consulted religious thinkers and philosophers about morality, consciousness, and how to make Claude behave well; the article does not provide the company’s response to Altman.
Attributing feelings to AI
Safety Concerns
Mustafa Suleyman has warned that treating AI as if it has feelings could be dangerous.
Anthropic’s Reported Consultations
The article reports Anthropic’s consultations on AI morality and consciousness but does not state its position on treating AI as if it has feelings.
- OpenAI leader
- Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO
- Company discussed
- Anthropic, maker of Claude
- Altman’s platform
- X
- Reported consultation topics
- Morality, consciousness, and how to make Claude “good”
- Reported participants
- Catholic, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, evangelical, and other thinkers
- Another critic cited
- Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman