Anthropic implements predictive surveillance to monitor activists

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind Claude, has implemented a predictive surveillance and analysis system designed to monitor activists and organizations that oppose accelerated AI development.

An investigation reveals that the firm tracks protests near its facilities and executive routes. The system utilizes a “crime prevention” approach, which includes proactively reporting suspects to police before an offense is committed. This infrastructure contradicts Anthropic’s public positioning as an “ethical and responsible alternative” to competitors like OpenAI.

While the company previously distanced itself from military use of its tools, it has recently begun offering sales roles within the defense sector. The surveillance capabilities were highlighted through discussions involving Anthropic security officials and executives from Samdesk, a platform contracted by the company for automated “risk” detection.