Anthropic, the up-and-coming AI company valued at nearly $1 trillion, is pushing states to tighten regulations on AI in the US. Cesar Fernandez, Anthropic's head of US state and local government relations, argues that current safety measures might already be outdated as AI capabilities continue to advance rapidly.

"The transparency-focused safety bills of 2025 were a really important start, but as the capabilities of AI systems continue to advance quickly - the policy responses need to match," Fernandez told WIRED. He believes self-reporting is no longer sufficient for securing the most powerful AI systems.

Fernandez's pro-regulation stance contrasts with some Silicon Valley leaders who accuse Anthropic of trying to use regulations to stifle competition and secure its own position in the AI race. While Anthropic supports state AI bills that apply to large model developers, only a handful of startups might meet these criteria soon.

Anthropic's mission is to inspire a 'race to the top' developing safe and secure AI systems. However, there are limits to their recommendations for government action, with blocking unsafe AI deployments reserved for federal authorities rather than state lawmakers.