
Anthropic confirmed in a statement that the meeting included senior administration officials and focused on how the company and the U.S.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Friday to discuss the company's new AI model, Mythos, according to multiple news reports. The meeting marked a significant development in the relationship between the Trump administration and the AI safety-focused company, which had previously been blacklisted by federal agencies over national security concerns.
The discussion centered on Mythos, Anthropic's recently unveiled artificial intelligence model that has attracted attention from U.S. Officials for its potential applications in national security and economic competitiveness. A White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity described the meeting as productive and constructive, noting that opportunities for collaboration were explored alongside the administration's goal of balancing innovation with safety considerations.
Anthropic confirmed in a statement that the meeting included senior administration officials and focused on how the company and the U.S. Government could work together on shared priorities including cybersecurity, maintaining America's leadership in the AI race, and advancing AI safety measures. The company expressed its intention to continue these discussions following the Friday meeting.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was also present at the meeting, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNBC on condition of anonymity. The source indicated that Bessent participated in discussions about scaling the technology and addressing associated challenges through shared approaches and protocols.
The White House characterized the talks as addressing both the advancement of innovation and the assurance of safety, reflecting the administration's stated approach to engaging with advanced AI laboratories. Officials emphasized that any technology considered for federal use would undergo a technical evaluation period before implementation.
President Donald Trump told reporters he was unaware of the meeting when asked about it during a public appearance in Phoenix, Arizona, stating he had "no idea" that Amodei was at the White House. This comment highlighted the ongoing distance between the president and certain aspects of his administration's engagement with AI companies, particularly following previous public statements in which Trump had criticized Anthropic and declared his administration would not do business with the company.
The meeting came less than two months after the Trump administration had taken a confrontational stance toward Anthropic, including public declarations that the company posed a national security risk. Friday's discussion represented a potential shift in tone, with both sides indicating a willingness to explore areas of common interest despite earlier tensions over AI safety protocols and concerns about uncontrolled AI development.
Anthropic has positioned itself as an advocate for responsible AI development, consistently arguing for the implementation of safety guardrails to mitigate risks while maximizing the technology's benefits for economic and national security purposes. The company's engagement with the White House on Mythos suggests an effort to align its safety-focused approach with federal interests in AI advancement.
As of the date of the meeting, neither the White House nor Anthropic had released specific details about potential follow-up actions or formal agreements resulting from the discussion. Both parties indicated that the conversation was part of an ongoing process of engagement rather than a conclusion to negotiations.