Palantir and 8VC cofounder Joe Lonsdale, an investor in Anthropic, says AI companies are attempting to sway public policy by warning of existential AI risks (Joe Brock/Reuters)

Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir and 8VC, and an investor in Anthropic, claims that AI companies are trying to influence public policy. He suggests these companies are achieving this by issuing warnings about the existential risks posed by artificial intelligence. Lonsdale made these comments on Friday, indicating a strategic effort by AI firms to shape regulatory landscapes through fear of advanced AI capabilities.

This report is notable as it's the first time Joe Lonsdale, an investor in Anthropic, has publicly accused AI companies of using existential risk warnings to influence policy.