Why Anthropic is turning to religion to shape Claude’s values, and asking if AI can be conscious

Why Anthropic is turning to religion to shape Claude's values, and asking if AI can be conscious As AI systems tackle more complex questions, Anthropic is drawing on religious and philosophical thinking to shape Claude's behaviour.

Key points

• 8 min read New Delhi Oct 7, 2026 06: 21 AM IST.
• Weeks afterwards, Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah was present when Pope Leo unveiled his encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas.
• Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah was present when Pope Leo unveiled his encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas.
• As it prepares for an IPO that could value it at $2 trillion, Anthropic is in the spotlight for meetings it held this summer with religious leaders.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah was present when Pope Leo unveiled his encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas. It warns against the blind adoption of AI. (X/VaticanNews).

Meanwhile, the Washington Post documented in April that the business had invited 15 Catholic and Protestant leaders to guide Claude's "moral and spiritual development" as the LLM encounters increasingly complex ethical questions. Weeks afterwards, Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah was present when Pope Leo unveiled his encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas. It warns against the blind adoption of AI, emphasises the primacy of the human person and rejects the idea that AI can replace or surpass humanity.

Taken together, the developments around why Anthropic is turning to religion to shape Claude's values, and asking point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.