Anthropic Exec Warns Against Elitism in AI's 'Permanent Underclass' Debate

AmandaAskell · x · 2026-08-02

Amanda Askell, Prompt Engineer at Anthropic, shared her thoughts on the ethics of AI and social hierarchy, specifically challenging the narrative around avoiding a "permanent human underclass."

She argues that if people genuinely want to avoid such a scenario, the only laudable motivation must stem from true humanistic care, rather than elitist condescension. Using a Star Wars meme, she implies that those who discuss "protecting the underclass" from a position of superiority often end up perpetuating the very oppressive structures they claim to oppose.

Related event: Anthropic Executive and AI Experts Debate AGI Social Inequality(3 posts)→

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