Anthropic has positioned itself as the AI industry’s superego: the firm that speaks with the most authority about the big questions surrounding the technology, while rival companies develop advertisements and affiliate shopping links (a difference that Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, was eager to call out during an interview in Davos last week). On Monday, Amodei published a lengthy essay, “The Adolescence of Technology,” about the “civilizational concerns” posed by what he calls “powerful AI”—the very technology his firm is developing. The essay has a particular focus on democracy, national security, and the economy. “Given the horror we’re seeing in Minnesota, its emphasis on the importance of preserving democratic values and rights at home is particularly relevant,” Amodei posted on X, making him one of very few tech leaders to make a public statement against the Trump administration’s recent actions.