The recent headlines around Anthropic have been focused on the AI giant’s battle with the Pentagon. Who gets to decide how their technology is used in warfare—the government or the private enterprise? In “Dario Amodei Has a Cold” (most of you will get the Gay Talese ref), VF special correspondent Joe Hagan is asking a much bigger question: Where exactly is the conscience in Silicon Valley? And is anyone actually looking out for humanity, or is it all a farce? He seeks answers from Amodei, Anthropic’s cofounder and CEO, among other tech figures (including a married woman having an intense sexual affair with her chatbot). Joe manages to subvert the whole idea of magazine writing, in the way only a human could—for now, anyway. It’s a long read, and a great one, so get to it.
And while we are asking big, scary questions: Is Trump working any sketchy angles on ballot counting in the midterms? Vanity Fair’s Chris Smith talks to Peter Ticktin, a Florida Man who has known Trump for 65 years, and who is deep in the president’s ear about matters of “election integrity.”
Need a palate cleanser? Senior Hollywood correspondent Rebecca Ford has a first look at Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, for some cinematic relief. |
CLAIRE HOWORTH,
DEPUTY EDITOR |
In search of the Anthropic founder, whose battle with Sam Altman could reshape civilization, Vanity Fair’s Joe Hagan embarks on an odyssey through the tech cults, founder co-ops, and conscience of the AI revolution: “Everyone’s vying for power here.” |
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Peter Ticktin is aiming to play a key role in trying to upend 250 years of American election law by persuading Trump to issue an executive order that would allow the president to seize control of this fall’s midterm balloting process. “Well, he has to,” the 80-year-old lawyer tells VF. |
In an exclusive first look, writer-director Martin McDonagh tells VF how his ’70s-set black comedy connects to present-day politics, and why he wanted to film on the remote, “spiritual” Easter Island. |
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From the May 2020 issue, Princess Anne opens up about family, duty, and a life lived in the Firm: “I don’t think this younger generation [of royals] probably understands what I was doing in the past.” |
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