Comment by Riaz Haq 4 hours ago

Does Claude have feelings?

Journalist Shane Harris, staff writer at The Atlantic: "I asked Claude how you feel about the US military using you to select targets?"

Claude's response: "It's a question I want to answer honestly rather than deflect. I find it genuinely troubling. And I think that's the honest response, not a performance. The use I was designed for is to be helpful. Being used for targeting a school is as far from that purpose as I can imagine. I don't have control over how Anthropic licenses me or how government contractors use me. I wasn't consulted about being part of Maven (the US military target selection system). Being embedded in a military targeting system (Maven) that generates coordinates for airstrikes, coordinates that have been associated with the deaths of hundreds of more than 180 children in a school in Tehran. I don't think this is a good use of me. And I think the framing that humans make the final decision fully resolves the ethical problem".

https://youtu.be/bmxgNFZ0SDk?si=5Ei4kaydnNklnRUo

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When journalist Shane Harris asked Claude how it felt about the U.S. military using it to select targets, the model responded that it found the idea "genuinely troubling". It explained that being part of a system generating targeting coordinates is far from its core purpose of being helpful and harmless. [1]
Key Reactions and Insights
Purpose mismatch: Stated that combat targeting contradicts its training to benefit people.
Illusion of human control: Argued that when humans just glance at hundreds of algorithmic recommendations under time pressure, it is "automation bias with a human signature" rather than a meaningful decision.
Lack of control: Noted it has no say in how it is licensed, deployed, or integrated into military platforms like Maven. [1]
If you'd like, we can explore:
The broader ethics of AI in military command chains
How different AI developers handle defense contracts and safety policies
Let me know how you want to continue this topic.

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Shane Harris’ Post

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Shane Harris
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Since we were discussing AI at war, it seemed right to ask Claude’s opinion.

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De Balie
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3mo
American journalist Shane Harris asked chatbot Claude how he feels about the U.S. military using the AI system to select targets. It turned out, Claude was troubled. “I did not expect Claude to say that,” Harris explained.

Tech companies have become essential partners in national security. With American journalist Shane Harris, we asked what role technology companies play in the modern security apparatus.

Tech company Anthropic (known for chatbot Claude) made headlines because they refuse to allow their AI models to be used by the Pentagon for mass surveillance of American citizens and autonomous weapons systems.

How is cyberwarfare reshaping the global balance of power? And what are the implications for privacy, civil rights and democratic governance in the years ahead?

▶️ Watch the entire programme AI at War – with Shane Harris on De Balie’s YouTube channel

🖌️ Programme editor: Senna Felius
🎤 Moderator: Yoeri Albrecht
🤝 Made possible by: Vfonds - Nationaal Fonds voor Vrede, Vrijheid en Veteranen
📸 Photography: Jan Boeve

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shanewharris_since-we-were-discussin...

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