Anthropic is lobbying states to adopt stricter ai safety rules faster

anthropic is actively lobbying state governments to implement tougher ai safety regulations, arguing that the transparency-focused laws passed in 2025 are already outdated in the face of rapid ai capability growth. the company has endorsed bills in california and new york and is now supporting stricter measures in illinois and massachusetts that would require third-party safety audits and grant state attorneys general enforcement powers. cesar fernandez, head of us state and local policy, emphasized that self-reporting is no longer sufficient for the most powerful systems, defending the moves against accusations of regulatory capture from critics like david sacks. this push for state-level regulation comes as the us congress stalls on federal ai legislation, potentially establishing a patchwork of state rules that could reshape the competitive landscape for large ai developers.