Technology
Anthropic bans election interference and model abuse as 'Soul Document' shapes Claude's ethics
October 9, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 2 hours
Anthropic has updated its usage policy to bar election interference and prolonged verbal abuse of Claude, building on internal deliberations over the model's potential consciousness.
- Anthropic updated its usage policy on Thursday, adding prohibitions on election interference, weapons software, surveillance, and prolonged verbal abuse of the model.
- Anthropic prepared an 84-page "Soul Document," written largely by philosopher Amanda Askell, which became part of Claude's constitution.
- Since late 2025, Anthropic has held closed meetings with religious and philosophical thinkers on whether Claude could possess consciousness or a soul.
- Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah said the company may have created something that "suffers continuously."