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Dario Amodei, CEO of AI startup Anthropic, met with President Donald Trump for a private dinner at the White House on Sunday night (September 27). This marked the first one-on-one meeting between the two, following Amodei's absence from a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. The meeting comes at a critical time for Anthropic, which is preparing for a significant IPO.
The meeting was first reported by Axios. It occurs amid ongoing tensions between Anthropic and the Trump administration. The Pentagon previously labeled Anthropic a "supply chain risk," and the company is currently challenging this designation in court. Despite this, the White House described the meeting as "productive and constructive," focusing on collaboration and shared protocols to address AI challenges.
President Trump has been critical of Amodei and other tech leaders advocating for AI regulation. He has stated that AI requires a "strong and smart" president rather than additional restrictions. Trump's administration has taken a firm stance against AI regulation, fearing it could give China an advantage in the AI race.
Amodei's meeting with Trump signals a potential thaw in relations, though Trump publicly denied knowledge of the meeting, raising questions about coordination within his administration. The White House has not clarified who authorized the meeting or why the president was not briefed. Meanwhile, Anthropic remains committed to engaging with the government on responsible AI development.