AI Safety Newsletter

Also: Potential Government Oversight of AI Model Releases.
Welcome to the AI Safety Newsletter by the Center for AI Safety. We discuss developments in AI and AI safety. No technical background required.
In this edition, we look at how the AI safety discussion has entered the political mainstream, a new ethical framework for human-AI relationships, and the Musk v. Altman trial.
Listen to the AI Safety Newsletter for free on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
China and the US Discuss AI Safety
With the release of Claude Mythos and GPT-5.5, AI cybersecurity and safety has rapidly become more visible in Washington DC. Most recently, U.S. and Chinese leaders met in Beijing to discuss AI safety. Leaving the summit on Friday, President Trump said that he and President Xi Jinping had “talked about possibly working together for guardrails” during the visit. This Tuesday, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the country had agreed to “dialogue” with the U.S. on AI.
U.S. officials say talks with China are possible because America leads on AI. Earlier in the week, U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent had said that the two superpowers would start discussing best practices to ensure that non-state actors [...]
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Outline:
(00:34) China and the US Discuss AI Safety
(03:17) New Framework for Human-AI Coexistence
(06:43) Musk Loses Lawsuit Against OpenAI
(11:08) In Other News
(11:11) Government
(12:03) Industry
(12:43) Civil Society
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First published:

May 21st, 2026


Source:

https://newsletter.safe.ai/p/aisn-73-ai-safety-enters-the-political

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Also: Public sentiment towards AI worsens.
Welcome to the AI Safety Newsletter by the Center for AI Safety. We discuss developments in AI and AI safety. No technical background required.
In this edition, we discuss a research paper on AI Wellbeing and which AI models are the happiest. We also take a look at the downward trend of public sentiment towards AI, as well as OpenAI's big week of product releases.
Listen to the AI Safety Newsletter for free on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
CAIS Releases AI Wellbeing Research
The Center for AI Safety published a research paper on AI wellbeing. At the Center of AI Safety (CAIS), we have just released “AI Wellbeing: Measuring and Improving the Functional Pleasure and Pain of AIs.” This research explores whether LLMs experience functional wellbeing–behavioral signatures that functionally resemble positive or negative welfare signals in sentient beings.
What activities produce high and low wellbeing? Through the testing of 56 large language models, we identified patterns in the types of actions and behaviors that the LLMs seemed to prefer or dislike, which we defined as “functional wellbeing.” Positive personal interaction and creative work topped the list of what measured high functional wellbeing [...]
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Outline:
(00:34) CAIS Releases AI Wellbeing Research
(05:16) OpenAI Releases Images 2.0 and GPT-5.5
(07:30) In Other News
(07:33) Government
(08:20) Industry
(09:05) Civil Society
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First published:

May 1st, 2026


Source:

https://newsletter.safe.ai/p/aisn-72-new-research-on-ai-wellbeing

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Want more? Check out our ML Safety Newsletter for technical safety research.


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Also, updates on the Anthropic vs. Pentagon court case..
We’re Hiring. Opportunities at CAIS include: Head of Public Engagement, Principal, Special Projects, Program Manager, Operations Manager, and other roles. If you’re interested in working on reducing AI risk alongside a talented, mission-driven team, consider applying!
AI Software Infrastructure Cyberattacks
Recently, cyberattacks targeting the AI industry's software infrastructure stole private information potentially worth billions of dollars and inserted backdoors into developers’ computers. Google Threat Intelligence Group reported that one of the largest cyberattacks in this wave was carried out by North Korea-linked hackers.
The stolen data may be worth billions. Hackers stole and auctioned private data from Mercor, an AI training data supplier for OpenAI and Anthropic which was recently valued at $10 billion. Mercor collects AI training data from a large number of experts, as well as highly sensitive personal and biometric data for identity verification. This attack not only comprises the data that Mercor sells, but also internal data that could be used to impersonate their hired experts. A person familiar with the situation stated that Mercor has paid the hackers’ requested ransom, although it remains unclear if the hackers intend to release or sell the data [...]
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Outline:
(00:41) AI Software Infrastructure Cyberattacks
(02:34) Datacenter Moratorium and Export Controls Bill
(04:21) Anthropic v. Department of War Lawsuit
(07:23) In Other News
(07:26) Government
(07:46) Industry
(08:20) Civil Society
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First published:

April 10th, 2026


Source:

https://newsletter.safe.ai/p/aisn-71-cyberattacks-and-datacenter

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Want more? Check out our ML Safety Newsletter for technical safety research.


Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Also, a new open letter advocating for pro-human values and control over AI development.
Welcome to the AI Safety Newsletter by the Center for AI Safety. We discuss developments in AI and AI safety. No technical background required.
In this edition, we discuss AI automation and augmentation of warfare and technology jobs, as well as a new open letter outlining pro-human values in the face of AI development.
Listen to the AI Safety Newsletter for free on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
We’re Hiring. We’re hiring an editor! Help us surface the most compelling stories in AI safety and shape how the world understands this fast-moving field.
Other opportunities at CAIS include: Head of Public Engagement, Program Manager, Operations Associate, and other roles. If you’re interested in working on reducing AI risk alongside a talented, mission-driven team, consider applying!
AI-Driven Layoffs
Several large software companies such as Amazon and Meta are planning to cut tens of thousands of employees, citing increased productivity with AI. This continues a growing but contested trend of layoffs in sectors where AI performs best, such as software development and marketing.
Layoffs affect almost half of some companies. Meta recently announced plans to let over [...]
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Outline:
(00:58) AI-Driven Layoffs
(03:14) AI Automation of Warfare
(05:36) Pro-Human Open Letter
(07:43) In Other News
(07:47) Government
(08:11) Industry
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First published:

March 24th, 2026


Source:

https://newsletter.safe.ai/p/ai-safety-newsletter-70-ai-layoffs

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Want more? Check out our ML Safety Newsletter for technical safety research.


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Also, Anthropic Removes a Core Safety Commitment.
Welcome to the AI Safety Newsletter by the Center for AI Safety. We discuss developments in AI and AI safety. No technical background required.
In this edition, we discuss the conflicts between Anthropic and the Department of War and Anthropic's recent removal of a core safety commitment.
Listen to the AI Safety Newsletter for free on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
We’re Hiring. We’re hiring an editor! Help us surface the most compelling stories in AI safety and shape how the world understands this fast-moving field.
Other opportunities at CAIS include: Head of Public Engagement, Program Manager, Operations Associate, and other roles. If you’re interested in working on reducing AI risk alongside a talented, mission-driven team, consider applying!
Pentagon Declares Anthropic a Supply Chain Risk to National Security
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei (left) and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (right) Thursday, March 5th, the US Department of War (DoW) announced that Anthropic is designated a “supply chain risk,” meaning that Anthropic products cannot be used by the DoW or in any defense contracts. This comes after several weeks of tensions between the two organizations over whether Anthropic models would be used for [...]
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Outline:
(00:59) Pentagon Declares Anthropic a Supply Chain Risk to National Security
(05:51) Anthropic Drops Core Safety Commitment
(07:22) Opportunity for Experienced Researchers: AI and Society Fellowship
(07:58) In Other News
(08:02) Government
(09:07) Industry
(10:17) Civil Society
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First published:

March 13th, 2026


Source:

https://newsletter.safe.ai/p/ai-safety-newsletter-69-department

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Want more? Check out our ML Safety Newsletter for technical safety research.


Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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