Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has raised serious concerns about potential AI espionage, warning that foreign spies—particularly from China—may be stealing advanced AI algorithms from leading U.S. tech companies. Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event on Monday, Amodei claimed that China’s large-scale industrial espionage efforts likely extend to top AI firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind.

With AI research valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, Amodei urged the U.S. government to take stronger measures to protect cutting-edge AI technologies from foreign adversaries.

AI Secrets Worth Millions at Risk

Amodei expressed his deep concerns about how easily AI breakthroughs could be stolen, describing them as “hundred-million-dollar secrets hidden in just a few lines of code.”

“And, you know, I’m sure that there are folks trying to steal them, and they may be succeeding,” he warned.

While he did not provide concrete evidence of ongoing breaches, his remarks reflect the growing fears that foreign intelligence agencies could gain access to U.S. AI research, potentially accelerating China’s AI advancements and posing a security threat.

Amodei emphasized that government intervention is critical, though he did not specify what specific actions should be taken.

Anthropic Urges Government Action on AI Security

Following Amodei’s statements, Anthropic referred to its recent recommendations to the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), in which the company suggested collaborating with U.S. intelligence agencies to strengthen security at leading AI labs.

Their recommendations included:

• Tighter security protocols for frontier AI research labs
• Stronger export controls on AI chips and hardware
• Closer cooperation between the AI industry and U.S. intelligence agencies

While Anthropic declined to comment further on Amodei’s remarks, the company has consistently advocated for stricter AI security measures to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive research.

Tensions Over AI Development: The U.S.-China AI Battle

Amodei’s concerns come amid increasing tensions over AI development between the United States and China. The Biden administration has already imposed strict export controls on AI chips to prevent China from accessing the latest hardware required for training powerful AI models.

Anthropic has been vocal about the risks of China developing advanced AI for authoritarian and military applications. In previous statements, Amodei specifically criticized Chinese AI research, including calling out DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, for scoring “the worst” on a critical bioweapons data safety test conducted by Anthropic.

His stance has sparked debate within the AI community. While some experts support tighter security measures, others argue that increasing restrictions could trigger an AI arms race, where both the U.S. and China develop unchecked AI systems that could spiral beyond human control.

A Growing Divide in AI Strategy

The debate over U.S.-China AI relations remains a divisive issue. Some researchers believe open collaboration between AI labs across borders is necessary to ensure safe and ethical AI development. They warn that isolating China could increase global risks, as both nations push toward AI supremacy without international oversight or cooperation.

On the other hand, industry leaders like Amodei believe that keeping AI research secure is critical to national security, especially as AI plays an increasing role in cybersecurity, autonomous weapons, and global intelligence operations.

What’s Next? A Call for AI Security Reforms

As AI technology advances at an unprecedented pace, concerns over AI espionage, intellectual property theft, and geopolitical risks are escalating. The question remains: How will the U.S. government respond to these warnings?

With AI breakthroughs driving economic and military power, experts anticipate that the U.S. will likely implement stricter AI security regulations, possibly including:

• Stronger AI-related cybersecurity laws
• Tighter restrictions on international AI research collaboration
• More aggressive AI export controls to China and other foreign adversaries

As the global AI race intensifies, one thing is clear: protecting cutting-edge AI technology is now a national security priority—and industry leaders like Anthropic are sounding the alarm before it’s too late.