A memo from allies of Trump names Anthropic CEO, viewing him as a representative of the AI apocalypse theory

Axios reported that allies of Trump are attacking Dario Amodei, the CEO of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, as a representative of the "doomsday" narrative surrounding artificial intelligence and one of the founders of the effective altruism movement. Sources say that during the midterm elections, allies may target Anthropic when countering his warnings about AI safety; due to his political stance and concerns about AI safety, he is seen as an easy target. This is concerning for investors as the company is preparing for an anticipated record-breaking initial public offering.

The report states that a memo began circulating internally within the White House this week, attempting to portray effective altruism as a fringe, cult-like group detached from mainstream America, with Axios claiming to have obtained the document. The memo was written by a Trump political advisor not currently employed by the White House, stating that effective altruism "has established a doomsday pipeline for artificial intelligence," placing Amodei at the foundational position of the movement, while also mentioning his sister, Daniela Amodei, president of Anthropic, referring to these connections as "Anthropic nodes." A source close to the government said that Amodei embodies an ideology and globalist innovation path that contradicts the president's "America First" agenda.

Anthropic has been distancing itself from effective altruism. Daniela Amodei stated in a 2025 Wired report that she does not agree with the term. Dario Amodei has insisted in interviews that he is not a member of the movement and has promoted the benefits of artificial intelligence.