The most justified criticism of AI companies is that they have yet to fulfill their bold promises of benefiting the world. This statement was made by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who linked the public’s negative attitude towards the technology to a “fundamental crisis of trust.”
1/2 Thanks Gavin for an especially thoughtful exchange. I don’t usually spend much time on social media but I wanted to engage here because it really brings out the heart of an important conversation.
First, on regulation, I think that “either concentrate it in the hands of a… https://t.co/2W6vWJAE8Y
— Dario Amodei (@DarioAmodei) August 15, 2026
The post was a response to a message from investor Gavin Baker, who accused the Anthropic CEO of overly negative rhetoric and urged him to speak more about the benefits of artificial intelligence. According to Amodei, changing people’s attitudes through marketing is no longer feasible: instead of promises that AI will cure cancer, the industry must show real results.
Debate on the Causes of Distrust in AI
Baker believes Amodei “lost the debate” on AI regulation and should become a more positive advocate for his industry, as he is “about to become the CEO of one of the world’s most important public companies.” The Anthropic CEO responded with a series of posts on X, noting that he usually doesn’t spend much time on social media but decided to engage because it touches on “the heart of an important conversation.”
Amodei stated that he pays roughly equal attention to the risks and benefits of the technology. As a positive example, he referenced the essay Machines of Loving Grace, which discusses the potential impact of powerful AI on medicine, the economy, and quality of life.
However, the Anthropic CEO acknowledged the existence of negative attitudes towards the technology:
“I think there’s a fundamental crisis of trust at the core. Ordinary people don’t trust companies, governments, or the tech industry and always suspect we’re coming up with some new way to deceive them.”
He believes the reasons for such distrust have been building for decades, with AI being just another manifestation.
“It’s Entirely on Us”
Amodei also acknowledged the responsibility of the AI industry itself. He identified the most valid criticism of companies like Anthropic as their failure to deliver on their major promises to benefit the world.
“It’s entirely on us. I think that’s what we should be criticized for, not all these things related to messaging and marketing,” wrote the Anthropic CEO.
In his view, the situation cannot be remedied with a new advertising campaign: claims that AI can cure cancer have become clichés and are perceived by many as deceit.
“The only thing that will work is actually curing cancer,” Amodei emphasized.
The startup leader added that the company intends to intensify its work in biology and medicine. He claimed that “incredible results” are possible in the coming years, though he did not specify what he meant.
Focus on Openness
Not everyone agreed with Amodei’s approach. AI researcher Yann LeCun responded that for about ten years, he has argued that the only way forward is for AI technology to be widely available, shared, and open.
For about 10 years now, I have argued that the *only* way forward is for AI technology to be widely available, shared, and open.
Like the printing press and the Internet, AI amplifies human intelligence and efficiency by improving access to knowledge.
To empower individuals,…— Yann LeCun (@ylecun) August 16, 2026
According to him, artificial intelligence, like the printing press and the internet, enhances human capabilities by expanding access to knowledge.
“We need diverse AI for the same reason we need a diverse press,” wrote LeCun.
He also cited Mark Zuckerberg’s position, which suggests that the very idea of AI being so dangerous that extreme concentration of power is the only safe option is problematic.
This approach contrasts with Anthropic’s policy on the most powerful systems. The company does not advocate for a complete ban on models with open weights as a class but believes that safety requirements should be strengthened as their capabilities grow.
Another objection came from OpenAI GTM specialist Angel Brodin, whose reaction was reported by Business Insider. She pointed to the pharmaceutical industry: real achievements in medicine do not prevent it from remaining among the sectors with low public trust.
In her view, attitudes towards AI companies will also depend not only on technological results but also on product availability, pricing, lobbying, transparency, and distribution of economic benefits.
Previously, ForkLog compiled a list of the most interesting projects that demonstrate how distributed databases and artificial intelligence help solve practical problems far beyond the financial sector.
