Anthropic warns against authoritarian AI while owned by UAE dictatorship

Anthropic recently published a policy paper advocating for 'data center nationalism,' arguing that the US and its allies must stay ahead of authoritarian governments like the Chinese Communist Party to prevent tech-powered tyranny. The company frames itself as a democratic bulwark — a stance that has burnished its public image as a principled AI firm, especially after its high-profile spat with the Pentagon. However, the paper conveniently omits that a slice of Anthropic is owned by the Emirati dictatorship of Abu Dhabi, a monarchy that scores just 18 out of 100 on Freedom House's Global Freedom index.

The UAE outlaws almost every democratic institution: political parties, free press, open elections, due process, and free speech. Dissidents face torture, and online speech that 'damages national unity' risks life imprisonment or death. The State Department's 2024 Human Rights report cites credible reports of disappearances, arbitrary detention, and transnational repression. By accepting investment from such a regime, Anthropic reveals a double standard as ethically flexible as its rivals. The nearly trillion-dollar firm's silence on its own authoritarian partner undermines its claim to be a values-driven alternative to OpenAI or Google.