Anthropic's Sarah Heck highlights AI safety as key voter concern ahead of midterms

Anthropic: Anthropic is an artificial intelligence company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, focused on developing safe and interpretable AI systems including the Claude family of models. The company emphasizes constitutional AI principles and engages actively with policymakers on safety and governance issues. Its policy chief recently highlighted public priorities around AI agency and safety in advance of the midterms during a POLITICO event. Sarah Heck: Sarah Heck serves as Head of Policy at Anthropic, leading the company's public policy engagement, government relationships, and strategic communications on AI, national security, and economic issues. She has held prior senior roles at Stripe and in the U.S. government. In the news, she addressed public desires for AI agency and safety as a key voter concern ahead of upcoming elections. POLITICO Live: POLITICO Live organizes high-profile summits and events bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to discuss technology policy, including AI governance and regulation. Its Decoded Summit series focuses on the intersection of AI innovation and public policy in Washington and San Francisco. The news item features a session from this event on voter priorities for AI safety and control. Brendan Bordelon: Brendan Bordelon is an AI and tech influence reporter at POLITICO, specializing in how Silicon Valley interacts with Washington on artificial intelligence policy and regulation. He has covered tech policy for over a decade across multiple outlets. He conducted the interview with Anthropic's policy chief at the Decoded Summit. Policy Focus: AI companies are increasingly engaging directly with policymakers on safety standards and public priorities through events and advocacy. Election Context: AI governance and safety are emerging as voter issues as midterms approach, with calls for greater agency and protections. Public Sentiment: Recent surveys show Americans hold significant concerns about AI risks, including potential existential threats, influencing election discourse.